Peace?
by TheUnwieldyStatesman
Summary: The War may be over but does that mean that there's peace? A certain young Fire Lord finds that the killing fields have turned into political quagmires as every threat to his power is made by forces in his country and by foreign actors. Can He balance the tasks of holding his nation together, negotiating peace with a hostile King, and being a good boyfriend? ZukoxSokka
1. Awakening

Exposition ain't fun to write, especially when everyone already knows the story, but this is my story and I've changed a few details including two very important aspects.

* * *

Thursday, September 13, 1900

He felt a presence over him and wanted to know what it was. He didn't know how long he had been like this, and was almost afraid to inquire. The last thing he remembered was a spark, then a brilliant blue bolt going to the right of him. He's looked over and saw that the lightning was aimed at his ally. His brain had become a nearly vestigial feature of his existence, as he felt every fiber of his being pulling in the same direction, pulling him towards that most beautiful, most precise, most deadly form of his element. His strides were made more imperative as he looked into the attacker's eyes and saw the same golden tint that had greeted him in the mirror.

When he had gotten to the spot, the spot he'd never forget, he intercepted the lightning with the intention to redirect it to the sky, where lightning belonged. But, he fell down, the result of having to halt so quickly. He couldn't perform that simple, graceful technique his uncle had taught him. What he felt next was the worst pain he'd ever felt in his existence. It was worse than when his father burned and banished him, and worse than when Zhao had blown him up, worse than when he walked through that blizzard at the North Pole. It, the pain, was like someone sticking a sharp knife in every cell. His muscles spasmed, growing so tight an immovable that he felt like he was in a vice. He felt as if he would snap in half or disintegrate like a broken window.

He hit the ground and heard his ally, his friend shout his name in horror. And then blackness. He knew he was still alive, something made him aware of that, but did not enlighten him as to his condition. He didn't know how long he was out, and in that time, that was not the primary concern. His body was tingling painfully. He felt as if his blood wasn't flowing. Everything was heavy, including his eyelids. That's why he didn't bother to open them.

It was a quasi-sleep that enveloped him, zapping his ability to move and to sense, but leaving him just aware enough to know that someone of something was over him watching. He thought he heard a voice sometimes two or three. Some sounded hurried and frantic, others calm and assured. There was one voice that was always heard, but he did not and could not figure out who it was.

He didn't know how many minutes, hours or days passed and didn't have have the strength to care. Wherever he was, no one was seemed to be inflicting pain. He fell into true sleep several times, with each awakening he felt stronger and his senses grew more acute, but he kept his eyes closed. He would feel someone looking at him, studying him. He could not tell who it was, but could only deduce that it was friendly.

* * *

After an innumerable amount of passes between drowsiness and alertness, he felt no more pain. The tingling had disappeared, just as the acute stabbing where the lightning entered his body had gone away. Te ache that made all of his muscles like lead weights on his bones disappeared. He stirred, and was pleasantly surprised by the fact that there was no discomfort in the movement. On the contrary, he realized that he was on a bed, on a mattress, a good one at that. He was supine with his hands at his sides, palms down. He made a tentative fist, and was delighted to feel silky sheets under him, and quality silk, probably Fire Nation (objectively, they were the best). He took a deep breath to get take the air in the room. It was cool and crisp. He heard someone else stirring and felt the presence over him again.

"I think he's waking up," the voice, a deep voice, said into the distance.

He opened his eyes and immediately saw nothing but blue piercing orbs above him, shining like the waves on the seashore at dawn. Limpid eyes that had much passion, which in their current state pleaded for reassurance. He didn't realize how beautiful they were.

"Zuko, can you hear me?" Sokka said, his voice, the sound of concern, his minty fresh, but pleasantly warm breath washing over his senses making the him even more that he was alive.

Zuko started to sit up, "Of course, I can hear you. I'm not deaf."

"Phew. It's just that I read, well never mind what I read. Do you feel okay?" He put the book in his hand down on his bed.

Now sitting on the edge of bed, head in his hands, Zuko answered, "Yes, I feel fine. How long was I out?"

"About forty-five hours." Sokka answered, resuming his seat on the bed next to Zuko's.

Zuko took that opportunity to look around. Everything was painted in that signature, unmistakable, and illegal to replicate color of the palace. All the other building in the Caldera and in the greater parts of the Fire Nation were shades that approached but never quite matched the richness of the red in the palace. He looked around the room and he did not recognize it. It was a small room, with two small beds in it between the beds, there was a small dresser, with a couple of drawers stack on top of each other, with an oil lamp on it. The lamp wasn't lit as the sun was shining quite spectacularly into the room. On the wall behind the dresser, he saw that there was perfect rectangle on the wall, where the paint was a shade or two darker, but still the official royal hue. There was a nail in the top center of the spot.

Then it hit him, a picture that had been up for years had been taken down and that spot was in the sunshine again. He looked over, and only noticed then that Sokka had a cast on his leg and saw the lone crutch resting against the wall. Zuko came alive when the the questions popped up and started to fly around in his head. He stood up and started to pace. It reminded Sokka of the insomnia Aang got before the eclipse. Only differences this time were that Zuko was walking back and forth with no shirt on and some pants were too tight, or maybe it was because he had just woken up. All sokka knew was that he could see a certain part of Zuko swinging through the fabric. You could say that Sokka and Zuko were seeing eye to eye in a sense. Sokka quickly suppressed the thought, but did not exactly avert his eyes.

Zuko, still patrolling the room, ran his hand through his hair as he quickly fired the questions at the other, "Did we win? Where's everybody? Where's Katara? Where's Azula?"

"Zuko sit down and I'll tell you everything," He said calmly.

"NO, Sokka what happened. Where's Ozai?"

Sokka stood up with some effort and walked into Zuko's path. When the other turned around to make yet another line in the floor, Sokka grabbed him by the shoulders.

"ZUKO. Get a grip." He commanded

"But."

Sokka jolting him firmly. "Sit down and shut up," he said half-jokingly.

The pale one complied and felt a strange stirring in doing so. If he wasn't so interested in what Sokka had to say he's have contemplated in that moment what the feeling was and why he felt it in his gut. "Okay I'm calm what happened."

Sokka walked over to the other bed and sat down, "First tell me what you remember so that I don't have to waste any time on the recap."

"Well," Zuko started, "They were just a few seconds from putting that headpiece in Azula's hair, when I challenged her to an Agni Kai. She accepted, though Katara said that I shouldn't. I took my shirt off to fight her and when I looked at her, I knew. When I looked in her eyes, those same unchanging eyes that lied to me and tormented me my whole childhood, I saw it. I knew she was slipping. The precision was gone. With the comet in the sky, we were both firebending the most ferocious fire I'd ever seen. Maybe ten times more powerful than I'd ever seen. It seems like for an eternity we fought my orange fire matching her blue, step for step. It was a stalemate and I knew that I had to break it somehow. So, I said, 'No lightning today Azula? Afraid I'll redirect it?'

"And she, she said that she'll 'show me lightning'. She created some and I readied myself to redirect it. And I saw a new glint of evil in her eyes, a spark, a flash of darkness. I watched as her eyes drifted over to the left and the lightning was _not_ coming in my direction. Then it hit me. She aimed at Katara and I ran to intercept it before it could get to your sister. I couldn't redirect it and that's all I remember."

Sokka started, "Katara told me that she tried to get to you to heal you, but Azula started to attack her. The battle was very brief Katara noticed the water under the grates in the courtyard, and did some waterbending magic and somehow managed to chain Azula to the grate. You were alive she said, and she wished that she could have gotten to you quicker, but when she saw the way you were she went to work. She was still working on you when Aang, Toph, Suki got back. They didn't move you here for a few hours while she put your chi pack in order."

"Was I that bad?" Zuko asked.

"We were terrified."

"Where are the others? What happened?" Zuko was getting excited again.

"Well, Aang came back, he said that he spent his time with an ancient lion turtle who gave him wisdom Unfortunately, Ozai his plan into motion. The fleet of dirigibles started raining fire on the Earth Kingdom. Toph, Suki and I found our way onto one of them, but there must have been about twenty of them. We figured out that we could use one ship to disable the rest of them."

"How?"

"We figured that we could go to the bridge of one ship and steer it into the others. That's what we did and in one fell swoop we took out about half of them. Aang was incredible. He went into the Avatar State and let's just say that everybody's firebending was truly awesome that day. Of course Aang had the advantage with the other three elements on his side. After what must have been the most tense ten minutes I had ever seen, Aang had Ozai pinned down to the ground. He made these fetters out of earth and had him on his knees."

"Then what?" Zuko braced for the news. From what he knew of the Avatar State, he knew that Aang wasn't in control. He didn't know how to feel. If Aang had killed Ozai, a part of him felt sad, the type of sadness that comes from something being wasted. Another part of him felt numb, he felt nothing for the man who had burned him and had told him that he killed his mother in the night for the 'treasonous things' she 'did'. Another part of him was just as jubilant as an Earth Kingdom subject would be at hearing that the Fire Lord was dead. Yet another part of him was terrified, the world's eyes were on Zuko. The billion or so people in the world would all be fixated on every step he takes, every move he makes. They'd be watching him, judging, loving or hating, grafting their prejudices onto him and so on. The next emotion that hit him was beyond terror, an emotion that's permanence he hoped he could escape, but knew would be his shadow in the sun: doubt. What the actual fuck was he going to do when they put that headpiece in his hair? He would be the commander of the strongest army and navy, the only air force. He would be the heir to an ideological mess, the inheritor to a legacy of death with the death of a hundred million people on his head.

Apparently enough time had passed between question and answer because Sokka only started to speak after Zuko went through that colorful spectrum of feelings. "It was the most impressive thing I have ever seen. I was almost blinded by this powerful white light and glow of orange. It was so bright that you couldn't even see the comet pass. I couldn't see Aang and Ozai, just the lights. The left orange and the right, white. The orange started to take over the white, consuming it. Just when there was only a thin stripe of white light left, in that last moment the whole ball turned into a miniature sun with the most brilliant light I have ever seen."

"What happened?" He asked.

"When we got onto the the rock where Aang had defeated him we asked what the hell had happened."

"And what happened?" Zuko asked again.

"Aang took Ozai's firebending away." Sokka said with a seriousness Zuko had never heard before.

"What?" Zuko's got wide-eyed with astonishment. "How-"

"The lion turtle I suppose, but that's not it." Sokka's voice turned even darker, "We told him that his reign of terror was over. 'Justice is a fearful process' I told him. And then I saw, what did you call it before? The flash of darkness in his eyes. He looked at me and he laughed a weak, exhausted laugh. 'Do you think you'll parade me around. Providence takes more than one lifetime. My fate is not ended by some boy. The Phoenix King shall be reborn in the flames' Then he laughed again, a hollow howling like a crazed hyena. 'I'll be back' he said. And his body went limp."

"WHAT?" Zuko rose from his bed quickly, turning a bright shade of red with lividity.

"Toph said that his heart just stopped." Zuko started pacing again, "He died. It's like he killed himself. He chose when he wanted to and he just stop."

"Fuckin' coward. Yameru, he committed yameru." Zuko swore.

Sokka suppressed a thought about hearing Zuko swear. There was something he appreciated about hearing something so visceral from the usually precise (to a fault), firebender. He asked, "What is Yameru?"

Zuko sat down on his bed again. "One of the first things you learn as a firebender is how to control _all_ your muscles and your breathing. A good firebender and take get his breathing rate down to two or three breaths a minute. Some can even make their hearts skip a beat on command. A master can yameru, or 'quit', instead of surrendering like in the old days when people wanted to keep their 'honor'. He just commanded his heart to stop, and he wouldn't face that fearful process. Death was too kind a punishment. But he was a coward and that's what they do."

Zuko was still confused about something, "Where are the others."

"Somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. They're due back tomorrow. Aang didn't want to leave you here, but he wanted to make sure that all the Fire Nation soldiers are complying with the cease-fire order that Aang issued. He also wanted to make sure that Earth Kingdom takes no prisoners."

"What?"

"I said that wrong. I mean that he wants to tell everybody that the war is truly over. Your uncle assured us that they would restore the Earth King's throne, So they left me to take care of you."

"Then, who's running this right now?"

"You are."

"How?" Zuko asked.

"No one knows that you were incapacitated. The sages and nurses who've been taking care of you have not let any information out of this place. As far as the people out there are concerned, you are organizing a government."

* * *

A few hours had passed, since his awakening. He knew that his body was back to it's normal self. He had risen with the sun, just as all firebenders did. He went and took a bath, against all insistence from Sokka that he smelled fine. He went out of the room and knew immediately that he was in the quarters of the servants. They probably didn't risk moving him too far while Katara was trying to save his life.

He felt a pang of guilt when he realized that for a large part of his life he regarded people like her as the scum that stopped his 'righteous people' from 'living free'. He snapped out of it. He didn't have time for guilt. This country was now relying on him for leadership. He quickly got into some 'regular clothes', which for the Fire Lord meant a flowing carmine robe.

The servants provided Sokka with some new attire that Sokka thought suited a courtier more than a soldier like him. He did have to admit that the clothes were much cooler than they looked, with the fabric being silky and breathable. He walked with the crutch, but felt much better at the fact that the robe accommodated for the sheath for his sword, which he was very grateful not to lose in that final battle for peace.

They met in the War Room. Zuko knew soon that the function of the room had changed but he knew that he'd have many a personal wrestle in here, in and out of the presence of his advisors. He did not sit on the 'Fire Throne' as it was called, but rather he pulled up a chair and put it at the head of the table. He felt more comfortable here closer to the one advisor he had present. Sokka sat in the chair at the end of the table, at Zuko's right hand. Zuko lit the fire of the throne for light and everything glowed in an orange ambiance.

"Sokka, I don't know what I'm going to do. How does one move forward after a century of war. This war started in 1800, it's 1900, a hundred million people are dead."

"Look, Zuko," he said, looking up to Zuko, who must have been sitting in a slightly higher chair, "I don't know, but that's good. Those people, your people don't know either. No one remembers 1800, few remember 1850, and most people block out '75. These are unprecedented times and there are people out there desperate for you to say something different. It all depends on what _you_ want."

"I don't want to be like my father," Zuko said bitterly, "I don't want to be anything like him."

"You're not, you'll never be," Sokka answered sincerely. He grabbed Zuko's shaky hand and held it in his hands in a brotherly way. He pat Zuko's hand with every important syllable, "You are not the Fire Lord's son. Zuko you _are_ the Fire Lord."

"I was."

"But you are the… the master of your fate, the captain of your soul. You have complete control of this. If you continue to beat yourself up, I might have to do it for you," he chuckled.

Zuko found it immensely funny and laughed to the point where he snorted a little. "I'd like to see you try hobbling around like that." He kept laughing, causing Sokka to laugh more, in a sort of jovial positive feedback. It died down after a while and Sokka realized that he was still holding Zuko's hand, in a brotherly way. He let it go and apologized.

"Don't worry about it. In fact I have a very big favor to ask you. Well since that thing will be on your foot for at least some weeks, can you stay here and be an advisor? It'll keep you here with the best medical care in the world, a room in the palace, all the food you want-"

"You don't have to sell me on helping you. I'll help in any way I can."

"Thank you. I appreciate that. I appreciate you."

"It's nothing, you had me at the food. So what do you have to do."

"First, I have to prove that I'm alive and that the Crown is moving to make peace. I cannot say that we lost only that the world has found peace. I have to bring my soldiers home. I have to tell them that Ozai is dead. I have to tell them that Azula is insane. I have to tell them. It's never been done before but I'll have to give a speech after they put that crown _in_ my hair."

"Well they're supposed to get back tonight, so you can do it tomorrow, or as soon as you can."

"No, the quicker, the better. The Fire people are excitable and hat uncertainty. If they didn't see someone steering the ship, there's no telling what they can do."

Zuko grabbed a piece of paper from the drawer in the table and got one of those wonder they made during the war, the ballpoint pen, and started to draft a speech. Sokka acted as a sounding board. They only broke once to tell the servants to announce that Zuko would speak at 10AM the next day

* * *

They didn't know how many hours passed and it made very little difference to them. By the time they emerged, the sun was setting. The clouds that evening were wispy and caught the hues of red, and orange as the sky mellowed out into shades of blue and violet and indigo. The sun itself was the same shade of gold that Sokka saw in Zuko's eyes. They went out into the garden and sat in the grass, enjoying the silence.

"You have a big day tomorrow," Sokka said, "And I know you're ready."

"I hope I am. Opening these gates to the people. I can only wonder what they feel about me. Most of them don't know why I have this scar. Most of them thought I went into the Navy by choice, a boy, a prince doing his duty for his country. My return was heralded in the newspapers, "The Prince Returns". And now I don't know what the people think of me."

"Whatever they think of you," Sokka said staring at the light show above him, "They will judge you by what you say and do. Goodness, every sunset I've seen in this country has been beautiful. It looks like sorbet."

"There's the proof you've been eating me out of house and home, taking advantage of our refrigeration system to eat all the sorbet. I bet you've been eating all the ice cream too."

"Of course, I'd never had it before. I tried every flavor, the strawberry was the best."

"That reminds me of the time- SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!" Zuko sprung up like a bat out of hell. "Shit, shit, shit! How did I forget?!"

"What? What did you forget."

"Not what? Who?" Zuko responded

"Who?" Sokka asked, not putting it together.

"Mai, where's Mai?

"The Boiling Rock, I guess." Sokka felt a searing culpability for forgetting about her while thinking about Suki during those quiet nights keeping vigil over Zuko.

"I left her to Azula's mercy. Mercy? She doesn't know what that is."

"Her uncle is the warden, I am sure that she is quite safe and as comfortable as one can be in a prison. Ty Lee too, if they're tough enough to work for Azula and defy her, they're stronger than anything she could throw at them.

Zuko was about to respond when he heard a low rumble in the distance. It was like a gentle roaring, a hum from a great beast. "Thank goodness, they're back."

And in a few seconds Appa appeared, coming from the east. When the bison landed, Zuko looked at the group that got off, Aang, Katara, Toph, and Suki, and was filled with a sense of dread. They were his friends, but he was terrified of them. The people who saved the world, two thirteen year-olds, a fourteen year old, and sixteen year old. Then he looked at Sokka and then at himself, two seventeen year olds. A bunch of people who when they added the years of the lives was still shorter than the length of the war.

These humble upstarts would be the people running the world, and his true tenure started in the morning.

"Aang, it's good t-"

"Zuko," the fully realized Avatar interrupted him, "We have a problem."

TO BE CONTINUED...

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	2. Not Even a Week

Thanks to m00npr1nc3 for the review and for following and Lady Nanoda for following. And thank you to Goikuchan for getting story alerts.

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Chapter 2: Not Even a Week

Sokka never knew that politics could be so _very_ complicated, but when Zuko ran through the complexities that seemed to define the government of the Fire Nation, he knew for a fact that there would be no peace for Zuko as long as he lived. That's why he accepted Zuko's job offer. In the short term, Sokka knew that he could ameliorate some of Zuko's anxiety, doubt, and dread. It wasn't something he'd thought he'd ever consider.

It struck him hard how his view of the firebender had changed so rapidly. Enemy, to enemy of my enemy, to true friend, all in nine months. Every trimester had its ups and downs. The first time he's encountered then Fire Prince Zuko, he had his ass handed to him. Zuko had made a great blow to his ego, snapping it like a twig. Zuko had actually done him a favor, bringing him back down to Earth. After Sokka and Katara joined Aang, Zuko's pursuit made him cognizant of the fact that evil was never absolute. He had never told Katara or Aang, but he had heard, in one of the ports, how Zuko was burned by his father and sent on the mad scramble for Aang. He had heard it while he was eavesdropping. It was a rumor but he believed it. No matter how much he wanted to delete it from his mind, he couldn't. It was there Sokka had hated Zuko, but pitied him too. He supposed that is why he never wanted to truly hurt him.

He thought that his and Zuko's stories had too many parallels: The War taking a mother away, a father too concerned fighting a war to love their children, being integral parts of War, being overshadowed by powerful bending little sisters, traveling unnatural distances, looking death in the eye, having the ax chop, or the sword slice close to the neck, and yet to live.

In the spring, when Zuko was no longer an omnipresent threat, but a fugitive of the Fire Nation himself, an even more sympathetic picture formed in Sokka's imagination. Life became feral for Zuko too. Zuko was no longer a threat inasmuch as he no longer had the means to pursue anyone. With successive appearances the one once called an enemy, looked thinner, nor disheveled, and nearer to emaciated. The consequence was that compassion not only made an appearance, but set up shop in the recesses of Sokka's emotions towards him. In the end of the spring, when it seemed that all the world's hope had been killed, Sokka was tossed back into the same doubt that he'd known through his childhood. Good and evil lost their abstraction and became unpleasant again, like unripe fruit. The taste always takes long to disappear.

The long, hot days of summer within enemy territory left no time for lofty thought. Every step had to be ordered to avoid capture. Often they found themselves within close proximity to death, but with each escape, Sokka knew that the War and its depravity were drawing ever closer to a fantastic end. Zuko's fate in the whole thing was a matter of concern in that the rogue prince could have proved another variable in the complicated equation of War.

And Sokka wasn't good at math.

When that awkward day came when a second-time disgraced prince, presented himself to them at the Western Air Temple. Sokka was pissed in a weird way. The person who had proven him wrong at every turn had actually done something right. For Sokka, it just didn't figure. For three years, he had searched every part of the globe, left no stone unturned,left no lead uninvestigated. He gave up the celebrity (turned it into infamy), the fortune, the prestige, the comfort, his throne, his people, their ideology and ideation, his love for what? A child having to defeat the baddest man on the planet, two water tribe kids who had never seen a tree and had no real concept of the color green, an insolent blind girl, another runaway. He didn't trust it.

Then he burned Toph. She called it an accident.

He trusted Toph's assessment, of course, because she was honest, but more personally because it confirmed the image of the confused, terrified Zuko that he had known in the winter. A good soul that had some stumbling blocks.

To be continued...

* * *

Thursday, September 13, 1900, a little after five in the morning

"Please, Master Sokka," pleaded one of the nurses, the oldest one, the Royal Matron, to be precise, "I have been nursing since before Fire Lord Zuko was born, before his father was born. I know that you are concerned, but he will live."

Sokka knew that he was driving the woman up the wall but he didn't care, "He is just as pale as he was yesterday, and when we bought him in here."

She was adamant, the deep wrinkles on her gray face not moving with her mouth,"If anything untoward happens, if anything even happens that varies from what I've said, then you may take my life." The other nurses told Sokka that she spoken to him tersely as she had to everyone. Ozai, Iroh, Azula, and Zuko. Her advice was binding and if she said it it was the truth. Sokka would have supposed that she was the most powerful woman in the Nation, a woman who could command Ozai and Azula should have been a general surely, but he was glad that she was not.

She left the servants' quarters where Katara had worked on him for hours. Sokka resumed his book,which must have been the fifth one that he'd read. It is not as if he got much sleep watching Zuko writhe. In those hours of waiting and watching he ate very little (except for samples of that exotic treat, ice cream} and read. He first read the medical textbook that the Royal Matron had given him, _The Anatomy of the Firebending Body_ , particularly the section on how lightning is conducted through a firebender _._ He read other things in that book that interested him deeply and he internalized it, wondering if some of the more fantastic claims were true. Maybe one day he'd find out. After that, he read some those Fire Nation classics that he heard about all summer, from locals and Aang, _Love Amongst the Dragons_ , _The Travels of Mako Po Lo, Ro Mio and Ju Liet,_ and Azulon's _My Struggle_.

The last book was the hardest to chew on, but he'd take that up later.

He had just surpassed the halfway mark into Azulon's manifesto when he heard something from the bed opposite him. He put his finger in the book. There was something different about this sound. It had an aliveness to it. Sokka studied his figure. The color (not that it was much) started to come come back. Zuko's muscles looked relaxed but had regained their definition. His face looked contemplative, which was an improvement from the blank unconsciousness that it lived in before. Zuko inhaled deeply and Sokka watched as one of his hands formed a weak fist. Sokka got up from the bed and went to him. The Tribesman looked down and knew that something of note was transpiring.

"I think he's waking up!" He shouted into the distance, feeling an excitement in him that went far beyond what he thought possible.

He looked back down and asked the supine now-Fire Lord, "Zuko, can you hear me?"

"Of course I can hear you. I'm not deaf."

Sokka stifled a laugh, and felt an exceeding gratefulness that one of those fantastic claim, that lightning could fry the eardrums, was not true.

* * *

About Sunset that day…

Sokka had been grateful that Zuko offered him such an intimate role in his government, and it was true that part of the motivation was food. But in truth, he didn't want to leave Zuko behind. Everyone else would. Aang would be flying around the world trying to piece together the peace, putting down any skirmishes that may start up, Katara would go with him of course. Toph would probably try to patch things up with her parents, failing that she would probably take a place in the Earth King's Court. Suki would probably want to stay with him and that made him happy. Then he thought better of that and knew that she may have wanted to go back to Kyoshi and get her life back.

"I bet you've been eating all the ice cream too."

"Of course, I'd never had it before. I tried every flavor, the strawberry was the best," he replied, before seeing a flash of reminiscence on Zuko's face.

"That reminds me of the time- SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!" Zuko sprung up like a bat out of hell. "Shit, shit, shit! How did I forget?!"

Sokka had to worst feeling in his gut when Zuko said that he'd forgotten about Mai. On that trip to the Boiling Rock they had talked about girlfriends and what they meant and he had forgotten. Suki was safe, but he had forgotten about Zuko's girl. Sokka felt guilt on a whole new level. The knife was only twisted when he remembered that Azula was the one who held Mai's fate in the balance. Not even the highest of the spirits knew what the hell that crazy bitch would do to someone who obviously betrayed her.

Then, Appa appeared, coming from the east. When the bison landed, Sokka looked at the group that got off, Aang, Katara, Toph, and Suki, and was filled with a sense of dread. They were his friends, but he was terrified of them. The people who saved the world were, two thirteen year-olds, a fourteen year old, and sixteen year old. Then he looked at the Fire Lord and then at himself, two seventeen year olds. A bunch of people who when they added the years of the lives was still shorter than the length of the war.

These humble upstarts would be the people running the world, and his true tenure started in the morning. He wondered what Zuko was thinking. Was it anywhere near his dread?

"Aang, it's good to-" Zuko started disregarding the fact that he was the one who was closest to death's door. Sokka admired the spirit he showed, and was glad that Zuko seemed to be at greater peace with… well… peace.

"Zuko," the fully realized Avatar interrupted him, "We have a problem."

"What?!" Zuko and Sokka asked at the same time

"The Colonies." Aang said plainly.

Zuko sighed, "Not even a week," he remarked bitterly.

Aang continued, "I hate to bring you this news and I don't even know how long you've been… well, anyways...The colonies are a mess. There is no standing government."

"What? None of them have a government? Where are all my Governors-General? There are seventeen colonies. Seventeen! They can't all be in shambles in two days."

"Ten of them escaped and are on their way back to the Fire Nation by ship. Four of them have been imprisoned in the jails there. And the other three are missing."

"Missing?" Zuko asked

Katara spoke up now, "We think that two of them may be… well there's no need to say. And the other may be hiding somewhere.

"Who's in control now?" Zuko asked.

Aang answered,"We've had to tell the Fire Nation Troops to stay for now. To keep the peace while a government is set up. We spread out into all of the bigger towns to tell them that they must still follow the laws and keep the peace or they will be arrested."

Toph chimed in, "When we told them that the courts might not be opened for months even the craziest of the rowdies got quiet at that. We had the townspeople pick the soldier they liked the most to lead them in the meantime."

Zuko was thinking, "Alright so, it is stable for now, but that means that we are going to have to go see the Earth King sooner than we thought, Sokka."

"Seems like, I say, give the same speech tomorrow, and write to your uncle tonight to come back to act as regent while you try to negotiate a solution with the Earth King," Chief Advisor Sokka said.

"I hate to take the throne and have to leave it so quickly."

"You're already going to explain that negotiating a fair peace may be hard negotiate and that it will take time. I don't think there'll be any insurrections while your uncle is here."

"And if there are," Toph added, "your uncle is the one to solve the problem with a cup of tea and a proverb."

"One thing at a time," Sokka interjected, "This whole thing has to be done one day at a time. And before we leave, we have a couple of things we have to do."

"Actually," said Zuko, "there's a couple of things I need to tweak with this speech for tomorrow. Sokka just a matter of phrasing the..." Zuko walked off, his robe flowing regally in the light breeze that always blew in the Fire Nation. Sokka followed still wearing his nearly as impressive clothing. Somehow he was able to keep up with the crutch. They walked together into the near darkness and their figured disappeared into the palace. Something struck Toph as odd, but she didn't say anything.

Aang spoke, "What'd we miss?"

"He didn't even say hi," Suki said, the words coming out haltingly, in a mixture of confusion and woe.

"He's probably just distracted thinking about the world," Katara said trying to offer some comfort, hearing the hurt in her voice.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Suki said hollowly, "He's just distracted."

* * *

Toph knew that there was something Suki wasn't expressing and against her better judgement she held her peace. As for the Fire Lord and Sokka, she'd be keeping an eye on them, so to speak.

* * *

Friday, September 14, 1900, 10 AM

Zuko was knelt on the scarlet carpet in front of the thousands who had gathered in the public square, called the Lord's Mall, just outside the Southern Gate of the Palace. The space itself was quite large, extending for hundreds of feet, the ground paved in a special concrete made of crushed obsidian, pulverized rubies, and reddish brown diamonds. When it was set the concrete made a smooth, black surface with little scarlet and maroon specks that glistened and shone pleasantly in the sunlight, and at sunset made the ground almost glow in the same tones. Zuko, of course, was dressed to match. His robe today carmine silk with golden shoulder spikes. He put his hair up in the required topknot (yes, it was actually prescribed by law). The crowd was silent as they looked on. Zuko scanned the people whose features he could make out.

The first person he saw was a man of about sixty, the lines on his face suggested worry and hard work, and his tan was that of a farmer, and his expression of austere excitement gave him hope. Next he focused on a woman, a little older than him, she wore a wide grin on her face and Zuko thought that maybe she had a brother or a lover who would be coming home. He looked at another woman maybe in her thirties, her arms were strong, and her hair was short, she was a factory worker by the looks of it, probably building the many machines that constituted the war machine. Her face was neutral.

He looked over at the people he called his friends. Sokka sat the closest to him, Suki sat next to him and clung to his arm, making him wonder if she felt well, it was too hot for that but Zuko minded his business. But then he couldn't ignore it, for crying out loud, Suki was attached so firmly to him like someone was going to take him away. Anyway, Aang sat next to her and of course Katara beside him. She looked a little terrified and Zuko imagined that she was realizing, much as he did before, that the eyes of the world were on her. Aang grabbed her hand, she tensed up and relaxed as she looked down at him. She reciprocated the affection and he blushed. Zuko felt a pang of jealousy, then a feeling of dread washed over him. Something told him that something was deeply wrong. There was an absence of hope where her presence was supposed to be. Something was deeply wrong, she would be here or there would be word that she was safe, and on the way. He snapped out of it and looked back out.

"ALL HAIL FIRE LORD ZUKO" The sage proclaimed behind him, and he felt the hairpiece take its place. The whoosh of the whole crowd bowing before their leader filled Zuko with a strange mixture of pride and humility,ecstasy and agony, trepidation and courage. He rose to his feet, and stood before them, a sea of red cloth black looked back at his friends most of them were awestruck, not knowing that the citizenry of this country were trained from young how to do this. He wish that he could, someway somehow, save the image of Sokka's face, his mouth slightly ajar in utter flabbergast.

Zuko looked to the guards behind Aang and the others and gave the signal. In front of Zuko, the a small section of the floor lowered and in or two and slid to the left. Out of that hole a wide podium, made of the finest, deepest mahogany and trimmed with gold, with one of those new-fangled microphones rose into position in front him. Also, on that podium, Zuko found a clean copy of his speech ready for him to deliver. He glanced over at his friends a third time. Toph looked as if a mystery had been solved for her, she probably felt that podium beneath the stage and was wondering what the hell it was. When the people rose from their position of deference, they would see a young Fire Lord behind the lectern branded with the colors and golden insignia of their nation.

Zuko said the words that every Fire Lord since the Great Charter in 1215 said, "Arise, my people, I have something to say."

They all rose, shocked that they could all hear him. When their eyes were met with the young Fire Lord standing behind the lectern a wild, deafening cheer and applause resonated in the mall.

Zuko put both of his hands up to calm the crowd. They only started to cheer louder. He looked at one person towards the front. He was a thin man and he started to shout in a particularly shrill way. Then he started foaming at the mouth, and collapsed. A couple of people dragged him away and he was tended to promptly by a nurse. The strange thing was that he didn't even look Fire Nation.

The clapping and cheering subsided and Zuko waited for the comfortable silence that came with an attentive audience to settle. When that silence made itself manifest he started.

"Today, we begin a new era." The people started to clap again even louder than before. Zuko looked over at the Fire Sages who were absolutely gobsmacked. The Fire Lord was supposed to be listened to in silence, or, at least that was the way it was until today. They could hardly contain their shock and it brought a grin to Zuko's face. He looked back at the audience, apparently not letting the grin fade away. The people who could see the grin on his face reciprocated, and the crowd grew silent again.

"The whole world is rejoicing that a century of war is over, and I am sure that you are just as excited as I am at the promise of a new future. The future I envision for this country, promises that our men who turn eighteen go to school and not to battle, where the taxes pay for road and not for regiments. This future can and will be real but it must be created by us all.

"This vision can only be realized in a world of peace. We have been given one sort of peace, but the real harmony that must be restored is based on the something very different and harder to achieve. Peace is the end to fighting and harmony is the end to hostility. I will work as hard as I can with the other. This Harmony Restoration will be facilitated with the other governments of the world. I will be meeting with the Earth King, Chief Hakoda, and Chief Arnook in due course.

The applause that rang out in the crowd was one of relief as if they were thinking, ' _Thank goodness, he's competent.'_

"I will take my personal responsibility in this war, and the culpability of the Fire Nation. The people never asked for this war, but you have committed sweat, blood, tears and some have made the ultimate sacrifice for this conflict. This war was offered to you on the false claim that we were the only ones who could civilize the world and that this could only be done by placing all lands under our dominion. This is a lie and I am guilty in spreading and acting it out, just as my father, and my grandfather, and his father. For the crimes that have been committed in my name and in the name of my ancestors, I humbly apologize"

And as if the crowd could not be more shocked, by an admission of the notion that most people held in their hearts, they were speechless, as the watched the Fire Lord emerge from behind his podium and bow down to them the same way they just did to him. He stayed just as low as they did for just as long, and rising again, he was applauded as he retook his place.

"I intend to make amends to you and to the world for my responsibility. I will not run from this or shirk my duties. I will be a Fire Lord for use and not merely for show. I will never abandon my duty to you just as many young soldiers never abandoned their comrades of their country. Unfortunately, my father failed and abandoned you at the last. I must report to you that Ozai is dead."

There was a gasp from the whole audience, and Zuko could feel as thousands of eyes shifted to the Avatar.

"The Avatar did not kill him."

Another gasp, and a murmur as the individuals in the crowd asked their neighbor what it could mean. How could Ozai be dead but not killed by the Avatar? And what of the Princess? Why is she not here.

"My father deserted you dishonorably by means of yameru."

Another choking sound from the audience, and angry grumbling.

He did not wait for silence, but started speaking, and they instinctively stopped, but the anger of the crowd made the situation hotter. He continued to speak with the calm, level tone that he was made to learn in school.

He started gritting his teeth at the next paragraph, anger and hate filling his mind while he tried to filter it from his voice. He knew that he could not and hoped that the crowd interpreted the emotion as compassion "My sister, the Princess, has suffered greatly from this war as well. While I will not divulge the details of her problems, I assure you that every effort is being made to rehabilitate her. In her state she is in no condition to help this country.

"I am. I will never forsake you, and I plan to be here in this capacity as long as I can serve you. In the months and years to come the government must be strong, but must not intrude on your rights. It must help those who are the most deprived, but must not be wasteful. It must be efficient, but compassionate too. I will now outline my Programme for Government that will proceed under any and all circumstances. The government will be open for business tomorrow on a weekend capacity, as will the courts. Any chaos or insurrection will be put down forthwith. The Bank of the Fire Nation will reopen on Monday and all private banks should do the same. The Stock Market will also be open for business. The schools will reopen on Monday morning, and will be open through Friday. On Saturday and Sunday the schools will close again to do the necessary inventory that was postponed in the last few weeks. I urge all private businesses to reopen as soon as possible.

"This Programme is robust and every part has tailored to maintain order and a peaceful economy. The first part is to facilitate the honorable discharge of the thousands of men overseas, and every one of them who can will return, with the pensions promised to them being delivered." Applause.

"I have never met a soldier who has not had a fantastic work ethic and desire to be industrious. The consequence is that there will be many men will be seeking jobs in one of the tightest job markets this country has ever seen. The way to provide them with jobs is to repair the infrastructure that has fallen into disrepair and by building new roads and bridges to make this a modern country. We will build levees to protect the lowest and most vulnerable parts of this Nation. We will continue to advance in the sciences perfecting the merits of electricity, and by finding peacetime applications to the machines invented for destruction. We will begin the construction of news homes for our soldiers who come home and want to start families of their own. I am sure that we can create a society where no one starves or has no place to live. This will not be a race to the bottom, but the creation of equal opportunity. What one does with his opportunity is up to him and his outcome is of his own making. Part of that opportunity is including you in the government. For too long, this government has operated with ambivalence, apathy, or aggression towards you, especially on the policies that affect you directly. That is why on major constitutional questions I feel that it is wrong for a policy that will affect all you the most to be decided unilaterally, but I shall take your advice through a referendum, where the question will be asked simply and answered with a binary choice. Yes or no" The audience started to cheer and out of the noise he heard one voice shout, "He'll listen!" That brought another smile to his face a bigger one this time as he signalled them to quiet themselves.

There are other measures that I cannot disclose, out of prudence, and under the advice of counsel who care about our safety, but be assured that all of them are being put into action to secure a better future in peaceful world.

"These plans are ambitious, but I can guarantee that your taxes will not rise one penny," There was thunderous applause at that, "These things can all be accomplished with the funds used to finance the war, and we will meet all of these targets and more, as we continue to live within our means, and build partnerships abroad. We will continue to make progress. And I will, as long as I live lead you with the heart befitting of your trust, and the strength that makes brought the islands together and made us the Fire Nation"

* * *

"So… be honest with me. How'd I do?" Zuko asked sitting at a round cherry table with the whole group gathered, half-eaten pastries on fine china and cups of tea (also china) scattered.

"You we're great." Aang, who was sitting opposite the Fire Lord, said first, "Really I mean it."

"Yes. You were sure of yourself. You gave those people hope," Katara sitting to her boyfriend's right, "And we all need that right now. This war, we never had a chance to grieve or cry or reckon with what it really meant. What were we fighting for? I don't think anyone knew the answer anymore. I wonder if people even pondered the question. Do people actually dare to explore the depths of the deprav-" Aang gently nudged her. "Oh, sorry" She blushed, more out of anger than embarrassment. It reinforced the caricature in that bad play with the 'decent effects' they saw last month.

Toph was sitting in between Katara and Zuko, "You were pretty good. I could tell you were using your bending to control your breathing and heartbeat."

"Yes, I have Uncle to thank for that. Firebenders can control their muscles if they learn discipline, and he taught me that." Zuko said, "What'd you think Suki?"

"It was alright," she said tersely, sort of shrugging. Zuko wondered what was wrong with her. Was she tired, stressed, homesick? Was she having her "ladies' days"? He looked at Sokka, his face was the absolute picture of confusion. He sort of shrugged. She continued, "It was kinda long, a little boring. I guess it was alri-"

Sokka interjected. "It was much better than alright. You gave that speech perfectly, that crowd loved you. They ate that up, and now you have to deliver. And I know you will. I know you're ready so let's do it. We're here and ready to help you any way we can."

"Thank-" Suki interrupted, "What's all this 'we' and 'us'? This is," she pointed at Zuko, "his mess and his alone."

She got up and knocked, more like banged on the doors. Zuko stood up to watch where she was going, The guards opened them out and she huffed down the corridor. She probably had no clue where the hell she was going, but she walked off. Zuko made eye contact at a very, very perplexed Sokka and shrugged though only for Zuko raising his hands one should tell. 'I don't know' Zuko mouthed at shoulder spikes were quite fixed into their position

Sokka got up wordlessly, took up his crutch, and started to chase her, hobbling along, narrowly avoiding being hit in the face with the doors when the guards were about to shut them up again. The rhythmic tap of the crutch on the hardwood faded as they disappeared around a corner. Then the corridor itself disappeared as the doors closed.

Zuko sat down again, "Um. I... yeah.

Aang tried to add something and failed as his throat refused to make a sound and his mouth refuse to form words.

Katara managed to form a sentence, though she couldn't even convince herself that she meant it, "They'll talk it out, I sure."

Toph took a line from Iroh, "More tea please."

* * *

Review or PM me

I don't bite, but Suki might.


	3. A Very Bad Afternoon

Thanks to Goikuchan and m00npr1nc3 for your review. I'm flattered, really flattered.

There's a whole lot of talking in this one.

* * *

Friday, September 14, 1900, 1:19 PM

"Suki!" Sokka was in hot pursuit, his crutch making quick, rhythmic taps on the woodblock, "Suki, wait!"

She didn't slow down, actually it seemed that she sped up "SUKI, WAIT!" He screamed, the words reverberating off of the dark wood. She still didn't comply, "I SAID WAIT, DAMMIT!"

She turned a second corner and he followed. She stopped as she found herself in a dead end, walls on three sides and doors that she would not even try to enter, lest she totally be lost. They were truly in the shadows here and she stood her back to the wall, as he limped into this corner.

"What the hell was that?! What's the matter with you?!" He sort of shouted in a hushed voice.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?! WH-"

He interrupted her belligerence, "Shh, you want this whole country to hear our business."

She complied and started again more quietly, "What are these commitments you're making for us. What's this about staying?"

"He offered me a job, okay, he wants me to be his Personal Advisor."

"And you didn't ask me?!" She asked with gritted teeth, "Don't tell me you accepted."

"I did."

"Sokka, how dare you?" She asked with incredulity, "How dare you?"

"What?"

"Who says I want to stay here?"

He didn't have an answer.

"So how can you say to him, promise him that we're staying?" She asked.

"Well, I am," He said plainly.

"You're being really, really selfish." She felt slighted.

"What? Helping a friend is selfish now?" He was the incredulous one now.

"Well you're not thinking about me," she said crossing her arms and pouting even more, something that Sokka didn't think possible, "You didn't even ask about me when we got back. I was on a mission, Sokka, and when I got back you didn't even see that I was there. You didn't even look at me."

"OH, that's _rich_ ," he started with the bitter, sardonic tone that always punctuated his frustration, and the speed that announced his anger, "Zuko had been so close to death in that room that the Sages were trying to find a successor. He was so close to death that they give him those damn last rites, so that his Spirit may find peace. They said, and I remember all the words, 'Ashes to ashes dust to dust, our cloak of flesh shall pass away, may your Spirit find Peace in the Next Life'. Zuko, my friend, _our_ friend, was teetering so close I had to put my ear up to his chest to hear if he was still breathing, to check that his heart was still beating. I haven't slept properly, I haven't slept at all in a week, Suki, worrying, that I was going to watch my friend, _our_ friend was going to die."

Suki shrunk down in size as she watched Sokka's passion, and knew that he had gone too far. She had never seen this kind of emotion from him. She'd never seen him shout like this (though, they were whispering). She had never seen any tears well up, let alone fall, but now there was. It was one tear, one drop, it was small but it was there. He wasn't done yet.

"I was so scared, I didn't know what was going to happen, and just before you got here, we remembered Mai."

"Oh, my g-" Suki remembered herself now, her eyes growing wide "I forg-"

" _Yes_. You did and I did too. We forgot the girl who had the guts to stand up to the craziest bitch on the planet. So, no Suki, I am _not_ going to leave him now. He had to speak those people in almost glowing terms about the bitch who did Hell knows what to his girlfriend. I won't be ditching him, so you can put that thought clean out of your head, Suki."

"I-" She wanted to speak but he was in full hysterics.

"And furthermore to that, when you got back you didn't ask about _him_ , you didn't look at _him,_ you know the one who was shot with lightning by his own sister, yeah, the one whose father killed his mother and then himself. Or me, the one who hasn't slept since Sunday, and is really, really close to losing his damn sanity. SO don't you dare, don't you _fucking_ dare to call me selfish."

"Sokka, I'm sor-"

"I don't even want to hear it!" And in that second, Suki looked into his eyes. She didn't like what she saw. It was the sort of anger and passion that defined a soldier, the sort of look that showed no love or any capacity to even understand love's fundamentals. She looked at his arms held at his side, shaking with wrath, the contracted muscles glistening with a thin gloss of sweat. She squeezed her eyes shut. He wasn't that much bigger than her, and not that much stronger, but in a stupid, fleeting thought, she feared for her life.

That thought passed away quickly, when a notion she thought more 'plausible' came into her head. She thought he was going to hit her. She winced preemptively and flinched back when she heard a small whooshing sound, like someone moving. She braced for the impact and it never came.

It must have been about fifteen seconds before she opened her eyes again. They opened slowly, cautiously, as if they too were consciously afraid of being blackened and bruised.

And there was no one there.

* * *

"Are you sure Zuko?" Aang asked, "Are you really sure you want to do this so soon?"

"Yes, Aang I have to." Zuko said with the utmost seriousness.

"And you're sure you can fly there and back in a night."

"It's only 200 miles." Zuko said.

"You'll be cutting it very close," Aang added.

"The days are getting shorter. Sunset's at about 7:00 now. I can appear on the balcony and wave when the fireworks at 8:00 watch for a few minutes and be in the air by 8:30.

"And you'd get to the Boiling Rock by midnight, 12:30" Toph added.

"What do you mean 'you'? You mean we. I need someone to act as a sort of lie detector."

"Me?" she stood up, and pointed a finger at herself, "Me?"

"You're the only one who can tell." Zuko said.

"Finally, I get my trip with Zuko." And in an instant, she was clung to him, and being much shorter than him, she climbed up him slightly and had her arms wrapped around his torso, and her legs wrapped around his legs.

"Yeah," he scratched the back of his neck nervously, "Actually I was going to ask Sokka to come with me."

"Wh-"

"We've both been there before,"

She detached herself. "Oh, yeah that might be better."

"But," he tried to pivot as to not hurt her feelings, "with that... whatever it- that was between them just now, Sokka might not be able to go."

"Open the doors!" the whole group heard from outside. The guards listened and the doors opened and Suki walked in, more like staggered in with tears streaming down her face, totally ruining the makeup that she was advised to wear by some of the servants. (They just wanted to see if Fire Nation makeup could work on Earth Kingdom girls; it did.)

"Suki, what's the matter?" Katara got up and started embracing her.

Suki spoke haltingly through sobs, "I...I was so... mean to him. I yelled at him. I… I was-"She started blubbering in a way the made Zuko's skin crawl. He didn't know why exactly, it was just that seeing a girl cry, it just, irritated him. He did not let it show. And Toph, in her signature, crude, way had put her feet on the table, and was 'blind' to his emotions. He was glad he would have to explain that later. He came back to reality as the guards closed the doors again with a thud.

"You were what?" Katara asked.

"I don't know. I was just angry at him for not saying hi when we got back."

"Where is he?" Zuko asked. "Maybe I can calm him down, we've all been operating on a lot less sleep than we should, we're all a little cranky.

"I don't know where he went."

Zuko rose from his chair, "I'll go talk to him. I have an idea of where he is."

He walked swiftly to the door and banged on it twice with his right hand balled in a fist, forcefully, his knuckle getting white. "Open the doors, please," he commanded. They opened quickly and upon sight of His Majesty, they genuflected as the pulled the handles, showing reverence, genuinely for the first time. It was an open secret that the servants abhorred Ozai and Azula for the way they treated them. Zuko, from young, had said 'please' and 'thank you', the way his mother did and had earned their most tender affection.

"Thank you," he said, walking away quickly his flowing dark robes clashing with the harsh midday sunlight pouring through the windows. The doors shut behind his figure, shrinking as he quickly increased the distance.

"See?" Suki asked.

"What do you mean?" Katara, still attached to her, asked. She let her go and led her, the way a mother leads a young child, to the chair that she had occupied before; well let's be honest, before her tantrum. Suki took one of those Fire Nation treats, what did they call them, 'cookies' with the little bits of chocolate, and started to nibble on it. Again she was like a little child who'd been crying: small, meek, innocent.

"It's like I left him for a couple of days and he's totally different now. He's all spacey and I don't know what happened. What'd I do?"

"Suki, you didn't do anything wrong. That comet came in on Tuesday, and it's only Friday. You've spent more than three days away from him before, and he came back to you just as lovingly, Right?"

Suki nodded affirmatively.

"Don't try to force it," Katara cautioned, "Once we all get settled, I'm quite sure that he'll be back to being the puppy dog chasing you around that you're used to."

* * *

They kept bowing and curtsying as Zuko walked past. They could tell that he was gripped by a strong emotion, as he didn't even seem to notice their presence. The vigor of hi stride was prompt enough for them to get out of the way. After he was out of earshot they whispered the gossip that kept the servants sane. Not even in their wildest dreams were they close, to the reasons for his anger this time.

He continued to the end of the corridor and down the stairs. On the lower level he found himself only a few door from his first port of call. The doors to this place were unlike the all the other doors in the palace. They were made so that they swung freely from the hinges when one opened them. There was no handle, no knob. Zuko pushed his way in and saw the chefs hard at work. They did not notice him at first, and when the head chef realized.

"Oh my goodness, Fire Lord Zuko, I-"

Zuko cut him off, "Sorry, I really don't have time to talk right now. Have you seen Sokka?"

"Yes, milord, he asked for some strawberry ice cream out of the icebox and left. He was in rather a bad mood, Sir."

"Did you see where he went?"

"No, Sir, we gave him some ice cream and he left just a quickly as he came."

"Thank you."

"It's my ple-" The chef started, but Zuko was already gone by then.

"Sokka," he murmured to himself, "where are you?" Zuko stopped for a moment, and looked out of the window that gave a view over the same garden where he, they had been last night. There, Sokka was, sitting under the tree, with a dish of ice cream in his left hand and a spoon in his right. Sokka had his head down, and let his hair down, so Zuko could not see his face.

Zuko walked to the far corner where there was a door to the garden. The door was perpendicular to Sokka. That is to say that from Zuko's vantage he could only see Sokka's observed silently for a moment and he could swear that he saw a couple of drops fall from Sokka's face. Zuko didn't know what the drops were, but part of him thought they were tears. "Maybe, it's just sweat" he whispered.

"Sokka, there you are." He called out, Sokka reacted, sitting up straight as Zuko approached. Sokka also wiped his face with his sleeve. From the distance Zuko still could not tell if he wiped the sweat from his brow or tears from his eyes.

Once Zuko had closed the distance, he looked down at Sokka, his clothes, water tribe blue, that matched the eyes obscured by long brown strands.

He sat next to the Water Tribesman, in front of him really, so that he could look him in the face.

Still not looking up, "You'll ruin that fancy robe, sitting on the grass like this," Sokka said, with an emotion that Zuko could not quite make out.

"I don't care about this robe. I don't like seeing you like this. Please, just tell me what's wrong?"

"That's just it," Sokka said, looking up to the Fire Lord, his eyes were a little puffy, but they were clear,"I don't know what it is. She just started screaming at me, about me ignoring her."

"And were you?"

"No, Zuko, I wasn't. She wants me to turn your job offer down.

"What?!" Zuko reacted, with a mix of shock, dismay, and outrage.

"So I told her," Sokka looked down, "that I already accepted. She called me…" Sokka sniffled a little bit, needing to surcease the flow of any new emotion. "She called me selfish. You don't think I'm selfish do you?"

Zuko struggled to contain himself, but spoke calmly. This attempt to forfend his his fury was part intellectual exercise, to see if he could remain calm when the inevitable shitstorms would come. The bigger part of his measured reaction was that he had learned that anger only multiplies hurt feelings. He thought that if he reacted with calmness it would not reoffend his friend.

"No, Sokka, you're not selfish. If you stay here, you're helping me put this shambles back together, but I can't make you do anything. If you want to leave, I can't stop you. But before you go I need to go to the Boiling Rock, tonight. I can't wait."

"Yes, I was hoping you'd ask."

"Thank you."

Sokka sighed, "I don't want to leave. But I don't want to make her unhappy either. It's like we're flying away from each other, moving away from what held us together. I don't know anymore, this peace stuff… it's strange. A few weeks ago we knew we needed to win the war and now I don't know what I even want."

"Well…" Zuko felt a wave of embarrassment, and blushed a little, "I need you, you're my best friend-" Zuko was saying with sincerity as he was

"I'm your best friend?! I'm the Fire Lord's best friend." Sokka was flabbergasted and his face showed it too. It was the first time he heard Zuko really express an emotion that wasn't guilt or inadequacy, it was… refreshing.

"Yes. I look at Aang more as a student than a friend, Toph and I view each other as allies, and speak to each other as such. Your sister, only six weeks ago, wouldn't have batted an eyelash if I died. When you grow up with no other boys your age around you, a father who was too busy fighting the war to pay attention to you, a younger sister who's bending ability overshadows yours, you don't find many friends." Zuko was talking more to himself than he was to Sokka, even looking at some indistinct object in the distance.

"A little kid growing up in a prison. I can relate. I was imprisoned in ice, you in the fire of politics and we were both trapped in a war." Sokka focused on his ice cream, now only a little left. He had another spoonful, and for some reason thought it tasted particularly sweet.

"The both of us, fighting alone." Zuko said still focusing on some obscure thing.

"I considered you my best friend too." Sokka admitted.

"Me? How?" Zuko asked, reasonably, "All winter I stalked you all around the earth, trying to kill you and Katara and Aang. All spring, I went back and forth as my conscious became a battlefield. In the first half of the summer, I had an assassin stalk you and try at every chance to kill you and I'm the best friend?"

"Yes, Zuko," Sokka said, "Aang is like a little brother, Toph's like a little sister, Katara _is_ my little sister. Yue turned into the moon after I knew her for a week. And I don't even know Suki. We stayed in Kyoshi for five days in the winter, she helped us across the Serpent's Pass for a couple of days in the spring. And in all those weeks we've had together in the summer I don't feel like I know her any better than I did when I first met her. I think I know you better than I know her." Sokka was shocked at how true that was.

"I didn't kn-" Zuko sounded apologetic.

"It's not your fault Zuko. I think it's mine. All summer I leaned on her, had an affinity for her, but I didn't _like_ her the way I always thought I did. Not the way I thought I should. I used her like a symbol. If I had her, life was alright. There may have been a war on, but life was alright. Now," Sokka chuckled uncomfortably as he continued to expose what used to be an internal dialogue, "Now that it's all over, most of the fires extinguished, the fire I had for her- If it's not snuffed out, it's dying embers as the sun rises."

* * *

4:40 PM

Sokka was putting a few thing together that he would need. Sword, some comfortable clothing, his crutch, et cetera. He sat on the bed in his room, right near the grand chamber that the Fire Lord was entitled too.

Suki walked in and sat on the bed next to his bag, meekly she said, "Hey."

"Hey."

"So you're going on that mission with Zuko?"

"Yes."

"Weren't you going to tell me?" She pressed, now knowing she was venturing into rough territory, against Katara's advice to not 'force it'.

"No."

She ventured further, "Why not?"

"Didn't want to get screamed at again," Sokka's answers were going to be uncharacteristically short.

"Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"Let's just forget it." He said, packing away another item, an army knife.

"Forgive and forget."

"Suki, I really don't want to talk about it." Sokka told her

"Are you mad at me?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Really sure?" She was starting to get under his skin.

"Positive."

"Sokka, what happened to us? What happened to the good times? A week ago we were inseparable and no we're drifting apart.

"What were the good times Suki?" He inquired flatly, as he continued to pack.

"What?!" She was dumbfounded and a little hurt by the comment.

"I asked 'What were the good times,' Suki"

"On Kyoshi, the way we were six months ago/"

"You mean the initial attraction, the most intense feeling we had in our lives, the flirting for a week before i had to leave." He remarked bitterly. "Don't sound like good times to me."

Her voice was getting shrill, "Sokka are you going to sulk all day?"

"I'm not sulking, Suki, I'm not even mad." He sat down on the bed next to her, and for the first time appreciated how large it was. He clasped his left hand in her right. He looked over to the left, to look her in the eye. "What are we Suki?"

"Boyfriend and girlfriend. Maybe one day something more."

"But we don't know anything about each other," he said.

"That's not true."

"Fine, describe me, then." He said.

"What?"

"Describe me. If we know so much about each other describe me."

"Well, your name is Sokka, you have blue eyes, dark brown hair, and you're from the Southern Water Tribe. You're brave, strong, a little goofy, rough and 're…" She was starting to struggle, "You're kind and notwithstanding your sometimes irreverent way, you have a great sense of chivalry. You…"

"You see Suki? Only three sentences. And I don't think I could do much better. I don't know your favorite color, your favorite season, I don't even think I know your parents names."

"We can work on it together, get to know each other," she felt some tears starting to well up, afraid that this relationship was imploding.

"I don't know Suki, you called the good times, the days when you didn't even know the facts in those sentences."

"I'm want to stay, Sokka." She lied, she could not even convince herself that those words sounded genuine

"Suki, you don't have to lie to me, that's why we're in the mess right now."

"I never lied to you."

"No, but we were lying to ourselves."

"What?"

"Months passed every time we saw each other, and we had both changed in time we spent apart."

"But we can always be together now; don't just throw in the towel." She said, "I won't."

"Right there, you don't want to stay, I _want_ and _need_ to stay. It would be selfish if you stayed here to try and fix something that never really existed. I'm going to the Boiling Rock tonight with Zuko to see about Mai. "

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"There was nothing there in the first place." Sokka said, shuddering at how true it was.

"You bastard, I leave you for two days, three days and you change on me. We're both seventeen-"

He interrupted her, "My birthday was Tuesday."

"Right. Sokka, I totally forgot-"

"I'm not mad about that, Suki. There was a war on."

"And now that it's over you want to tear up what we had."

"And again, Suki, what did we have?! A relationship? A friendship? Attraction?"

"Attraction and a friendship, at least, Sokka!"

"Exactly, but no relationship."

Her face flashed with horror and anger, "IS THIS ABOUT SEX, SOKKA?"

"Who said anything about sex?" Sokka was utterly disgusted now

"You never did." She pivoted her argument, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, Suki," Sarcastic Sokka made his second appearance, "I always wanted to get some girl pregnant, and drag her around the world, so she could have a baby while we rode on Appa after having a battle with Combustion Man or Azula. That's my idea of how to treat a girl."

"Ah, and here's the real Sokka, just as bitter and cynical as ever." Any low feelings were gone replaced by a bitter, angry nastiness, that Sokka has never seen

"Oh so you were lying describing me too, a real class act, Suki."

"You know what? We're done. Whatever it is we had or didn't have it's over, mister. Happy birthday."

She walked out in a hurry for the second time today.

This time he did not pursue.

* * *

Suki went down the corridor toward the great big double doors at the end. There was a guard on either side of the doors she walked past them and banged on the doors herself.

Both the guards looked at each than at her. All their training told them that she was supposed to truss her up, but they knew that they couldn't.

Zuko opened up from the inside and she marched in. He shut the door behind him. They walked deeper into the chamber, and she forgot her anger for a brief second when she saw the sheer size of it. Then, she remembered how pissed she was.

Accusatorily, she started barking, "What did you do to Sokka?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, trying again to apply a calm demeanor.

"It's like you've poisoned him against me." She was still loud, but nowhere near as boisterous as she with with her ex-boyfriend.

"I was in a coma for most of the time you were gone."

"And when you woke up?"

"He helped me write, no let me be honest, he wrote that speech. I had the ideas and he made them flow."

"Is that it?" She asked.

"And we had some cake for his birthday. And he invented the idea that ice cream and cake go together."

"And then what?"

"And then we finished the speech. He got some more ice cream. We went out and you got back."

"I don't believe you."

"You could just ask him." He said, concealing his umbrage at that statement.

"No, I can't, we're through. And it's your fault." She went running, opened one of the doors and bolted towards Katara's room. The guards closed the door behind her.

"She's crazy," Zuko sighed aloud, before continuing to pack.

* * *

People are getting feisty.

Hope you enjoyed. Feel free to review or PM me.


	4. Many Prisons

It gets rough. Some people are really, really sick. You'll see when you read.

* * *

8:35 PM

They, all three of them, snuck off during the fireworks display, and made quick work of changing into comfortable flying clothes. Ironically, the speed of war no long being a factor for planning, they realized they were pressed for time. They had nine hours, tops, to get to the Boiling Rock, find Mai, and get back. And if the thing that was lurking in the back of their minds was true, they'd have to stop wherever Azula was (in the same prison where Iroh was detained). This aspect of the plan was certainly up to change if their worst fears were realized. They had to be back before the sun rose, and even before the sky started to lighten SIX AM the latest to come back.

They 'saddled up' with Sokka sitting in the front past of the saddle looking down towards Zuko would be sat. Of course, the Fire Lord took the reins, as he was the only one to know the lay of the land well enough to find the prison. Toph, the one who was so excited to have her 'Zuko Adventure', had her eyes shut the second she was in the saddle.

Zuko couldn't even contemplate sleep, his heart was racing. The worst thoughts kept gnawing at him. _Where was she? Was she okay, or even alive? I'll kill Azula if she hurt a hair on her head._

He did not know how much time had passed as he looked into the sea and saw the whitecaps. They distracted him, hypnotized him.

"Zuko," he heard a voice whisper his name, "Zuko."

Zuko snapped out of it, "Oh, sorry, just— I was just, thinking."

"No, I'm sorry," Sokka said, "I heard that she confronted you."

"Who told—"

"She told Katara, and Katara told me. I'm sorry she did that."

"Why are you sorry?" He asked, confused. "You're not the one who interrogated me. I'm sorry for whatever I did that drove this wedge."

"Well, it wasn't you. I blame myself. She felt things that I didn't. She felt much closer than we actually were. She couldn't even tell me who she thought I was, except for the superficial things. I just failed at protecting every woman I had to. I couldn't protect my mother, I couldn't protect Yue, and I couldn't even protect what I had, or what I thought I had for Suki."

Zuko looked up from the saddle and saw Sokka, once again, his head bowed with drops falling from his face. This time he knew they were tears not sweat.

Sokka continued, his voice cracking "And now I'm terrified that," he said looking up, the tears evident in his eyes by the glistening, " In my absentmindedness, I forget two more. They risked their lives. Azula… I don't even want to think about it."

Something in Zuko was quite disturbed and upset to see Sokka distraught. What washed over Zuko was a strange feeling, indeed. There was something inherently wrong in seeing Sokka cry. It felt almost like being a witness to a great crime, a crime against humanity. Seeing Sokka cry was like adding two and two and getting five, like the sun rising in the west and setting in the east, like snow in the Fire Nation. It was just _wrong._ It rent Zuko's heart to see him cry, and something in him felt that his was his job to make Sokka feel better. It wasn't duty, in the sense that he felt forced, but it was responsibility. Zuko climbed up into the saddle (which is actually a bit dangerous mid-flight) and sat next to him.

"Sokka, it's not your fault." Zuko pleaded with him.

The true emotions came out of Sokka, "All my life I tried to be the perfect warrior. I wanted to be a man, now I am, and I don't know what I am."

"You _are_ a warrior. Three people taking out a _fleet_ , you're the smartest soldier I've ever seen. Three against thirty thousand men in those airships and you did it. You are a warrior.

"But, I—"

Zuko simply cut him off, "Shut up."

Sokka complied, out of shock and amazement that Zuko commanded him. He dabbed his eyes with the cloth of his shirt.

"Now, look Sokka." Zuko was looking deep into his eyes, and Sokka was compelled to obey, "You, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, are the bravest, smartest, kindest, person I know. Our first encounter was proof of your bravery. You were willing to risk your life so that they could be safe. Then you join the fugitive Zhao and I scoured the Earth for. You put yourself directly in the crosshairs of the baddest people on the planet, and didn't even blink. You slept out in the open in Spirits know where and for months only had a boomerang and a club for defense.

"You're smart too. Fixing the professor's hot air balloon design, coming up with the submarine. Designing armor for Appa, coming up with a schedule for the summer. You figured out the date of the Solar Eclipse and designed a master plan that breached the the gates of Azulon and got all the way into the Capital. Your forces got up that volcano, in what? Fifteen minutes. And just yesterday, you took my rambling ideas and wrote a speech for the Fire Lord. And I never would have thought up cake and ice cream together."

"You're kind, because when you could have taken me prisoner or killed me, you didn't. You stuck with me when I looked like death and felt worse. You didn't have to, but you did. You didn't hesitate to help me now. And now you're the only advisor I have where I don't have to worry about duplicity."

Sokka, still gobsmacked asked, "Why?"

"The Fire Lord's Advisory Council are just the Fire Sages in the Capital City. They are going to pledge their allegiances to me tomorrow. But for a century they've been dedicated to this idea of only one nation. Now that I've ripped that from under them, I can't be sure that they're truly loyal to me. You're the only one I can trust."

Sokka thought, " _He just did a better job telling me what he thinks of me than the one I was supposed to be in love with."_

"I didn't know you felt that way about me," Sokka vocalized, "I'm sorry I was so sulky. There are bigger issues, than me bitching about my girlfriend… my ex-girlfriend." a happier thought came to him, "And besides, now, I'm free. Let's see what the Fire Nation has to offer."

"Right," Zuko said, hollowly, becoming concerned about Mai again.

Now it was Sokka's turn to comfort Zuko, "I'm sure she's okay."

"Something's wrong. I feel it. Something's really, really wrong. When I think about it, I feel a burning." Zuko said looking out over the sea, forgetting that Sokka was there.

"Don't talk like that." Sokka said trying to catch Zuko's gaze and attention. It didn't work. Sokka sat there horrified, turned his head and looked to Toph for assurance or comfort. She was curled up in a ball under a blanket.

Zuko spoke in a catatonic stupor. "And all I left was a fucking note. I broke her heart with a fucking note. I left her in the middle of the night. The night she told me she loved me, and I left her. She was ready, she said. All I had to do was send for her and we could be together. We could be one. And I left her. All she wanted to know was why I left her and I couldn't answer. I locked her in that cel-"

Sokka grabbed him by the shoulders and started to shake him, trying to snap him out of it, "Get a grip, Zuko."

Zuko came back to reality, "I just want to know what happened."

"I do to. I feel culpable."

"You're not," Zuko said plainly, and turned around to see a motionless Toph, "Oh look at us. I'm glad she's asleep. We'd never live this down."

"Live what down?" Sokka asked jokingly, hoping to staunch the flow of those low emotions.

"Exactly."

"Sometimes I wish I could tell if someone was lying so easily." Sokka said, trying to change the mood.

"Oh no, I don't," Zuko proclaimed emphatically, "Being able to read someone's emotions perfectly, see and know their whole soul in a second, that's some scary stuff to me."

"Scary?"

"I rather get to know the person over time. What they like and dislike.. Their dreams and aspirations. I want to see their heart, show them mine, to love and be loved. I never know if I'll find that completely. Being the Fire Lord, again most of the people around me, including any future mates would be disingenuous at least and duplicitous ."

"Well I won't be."

"Thank goodness for that."

"And since when were you a philosopher? Talking about love like that."

"When you spend your whole life imprisoned by fire, with no one to talk too, it makes you think."

"When you spend your whole life imprisoned by ice, with no one to talk too, it makes you think too." Sokka was jarred that the similarity existed. Before he was theorizing, but now he appreciated that the theory was true. How many children out there had their childhoods taken away? How many had died?

"I had never seen a forest until I was banished."

"I had never seen a flower until spring. I remember it well. We were searching for Appa, before the Dai Li, stymied us. Toph and I were scouring the Lower Ring, putting up posters. By the third day, she stopped coming with me. And on that third day, a Sunday, in April, I walked in the cobbled streets and found myself on a narrow avenue. The cobbles were broken and between them, in the cracks, something had sprouted in the street. A flower, despite all odds, had broken through. I dropped everything I was doing. I had no business putting up posters as I saw the precarious, beautiful thing coming up through the concrete. I couldn't tell what color it was. I sat on the streets of the capital of the Earth Kingdom fondling with my fingers, the delicate petals that had blossomed, wondering if that's what all flowers looked , felt, smelled like.

11:19

After a couple hours of comfortable silence, _yes, a couple of hours_ , a plume of steam, only illuminated by Yue's soft, persistent glow, entered their sight. As they drew nigh onto the the steam. Both of their nerves seemed to fray internally, though neither of them would let it show.

" _I need to be strong for him."_ Sokka thought, not even letting his face show he was pondering.

" _I need to be strong for him."_ Zuko thought, trying to spare Sokka's feelings. It was objectively altruistic of him to want to make Sokka feel even worse. Zuko felt deep down that his heart was going to broken. Sokka's day had already been absolutely demoralizing, he did not want to make it a complete loss.

"Toph." Sokka turned around and called loudly, "Wake up."

She stirred and unballed herself, "Are we there, yet?"

"Yes, we are."

The breeze pushed the steam towards the east, so Appa saw the island he was being guided to and approached it without hesitation. An alarm bell and siren started to blare and echo across the metal structure. Appa landed in the center of the coffin-shaped courtyard, and managed to remain calm despite the noise. They shone a spotlight on Appa, and several guards approached from each direction. They were all in offense mode as they came cautiously to the beast.

"Hands where we can see them!" They all commanded at once after their training.

Zuko climbed down. Upon recognition, they all dropped their weapons, stood down and bowed low. As Sokka and Toph worked their way down, the warden appeared out of the building. He was shouting, "What the hell is all of this."

He started stepping over the kowtowed guards, and saw Zuko. "Oh, it's you." He said disrespectfully, not showing due reverence. In the old days, the Fire Lord would have killed him on the spot for such defiance.

"Where is Mai?" Zuko asked with enmity dripping off his voice,

"Oh now he cares. All these weeks and now he cares." The warden remarked bitterly. Zuko could feel his fists clenching. Sokka saw that that flames were rising from his fists. They looked like knives in both of his hands. They were blades of fire. Sokka's jaw dropped as he watched the flame change from orange, to

"Subject," Zuko addressed him the way he never wanted to address anyone, "I asked you a question."

"She's in the infirmary, because of you. And Ty Lee is…" He trailed off, his toughness and vigor dissipating.

"What?" Zuko

"Ty Lee is dead because you wanted to fight a war."

"What the fuck did Azula do?" Zuko asked walking slowly towards the warden. The warden started to back away with any pretense of asserting defiance. "I said what did my sister do?"

* * *

Several weeks ago…

"The thing I don't understand is why. Why would you do it?" Azula asked with her crisp, pointed way of speaking.

"I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do. You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you." Mai answered, plainly, though the answer frightened her just as much, if not more, than it angered Azula.

"NO. You miscalculated! You should have feared me more!" Azula said feeling a fury that she had never known before. She knew in that moment that Mai would have to die, for her treason. To personally betray the Princess was a capital offense after all. Azula was generate lightning. Mai took her stilettos from her sleeve.

Suddenly,ready Azula felt a tingling numbness in her body and collapsed to the ground with an audible thud, rendered paralyzed. She thought that she was going to die when she looked and saw the two of them, Mai and Ty Lee, above her, still some distance away.

"Come on," Ty Lee, sort of whined tugging at Mai's sleeves, "Let's get out of here.."

They could not have moved even five feet before some dozen or so guards had them trussed up. Azula, for once in her life, was grateful, but of course did not let that show. She resorted back to the imperious smirk she gave anytime she found herself in a difficult circumstance. Some guards came and lifted her up.

Back at eye level with the people who betrayed her, she felt a surge of power. And she thought more and more of the things she wanted to do to them. She felt a wave of powerlessness wash over her as she commanded her arm to move but it did not.

"What would you like us to do with them?"

There was a terrible silence that fell over them. The only sound they any of them heard was the gentle gurgling of boiling water around them and the annoying whirring of the gondola returning. As it neared the heared the warden struggling to free himself, his body thrashing on the metal floor.

She said the first thing that came to her head, "Take them somewhere I'll never see them again and let them rot."

The guards started to carry them away.

"No." Azula said, "Bring them back." The guards listened to their Royal Mistress and brought them back. "Treason cannot be met with mercy."

Ty Lee spoke harshly against Azula for the first time against Azula, "Azula, you were always an evil, vindictive, conniving bitch, who couldn't have a real friend if you tried. Since we were kids, you tormented us. You've lived your whole life threatening and manipulating people, and it's going to be over soon. Everything is going to unravel, everything is fixed. AND YOU CAN'T CHANGE IT!"

Azula wanted to kill Ty Lee right then, but she couldn't. Ty Lee had taken her bending away. Azula wasn't in control, and it killed her.

"You always wanted to be special, but you've done nothing but flattered yourself. You're just what now... A slut."

"Rather be a slut than a psychopath." Ty Lee answered.

" Kill the bitch." Azula said. The guards did not move and only looked at the Princess with a few looking puzzled, others looking disgusted, and the most dangerous the ones who looked into her eyes and saw that something in her was broken. They saw that something was not right with her, and kept a straight face. None of the faces showed approval. Azula commanded again, "You heard me. I said kill the bitch!"

"Madam, we do not know what…" One of the guards chimed in.

Before Azula could answer the tram with the tied up warden arrived back and the redundant guards went to free him. When he was untied he got up immediately and went to where the Princess was being propped up and where his niece was manacled.

"What's going on here?" He looked at everyone and was confused, he resorted to bowing to the royalty present.

"Your niece made a very bad choice and now she has to pay for it. Ty Lee has also shown treachery and must be punished." Azula turned her head towards him and looked deep into his eyes, domineering, "You are the warden of the prison with the hardest prisoners in the Fire Nation, you know what punishment is."

"Surely a stay in solitary confinement is punishment enough, Princess."

She wanted to kick him, but she still could not move, "They threatened to end my life and that is a Capital offense."

"Could they go to trial-"

"No. I will not have traitors live for a moment longer than I can stand." Something clicked in Azula's warped mind, "How hot is that water down there?"

"Your Highness, you're not suggesting-"

"Answer the question, subject."

"It's 215 degrees, Ma'am." The warden answered.

"Throw Ty Lee in." She said plainly. Ty Lee did not even have a reaction

"I cannot command any of my officers to do anything like that. I can't make them betray their consciences. They have to sleep at night." The warden, still on his knees, "Have mercy on them. They're young and dumb and full of stupid ideas."

"Take her away and do what I say."

A guard from the back of that rabble spoke up, "I'll do it." His voice was certain and had an imperious lilt to it that peaked the Princess' interest.

He stepped forward out of them and looked like an ordinary man of average build. But, upon deeper investigation into his eyes, the same thing that was amiss in Azula was not right with him. The place where his conscience was supposed to reside was never lived in or visited by true human emotion. Azula smiled at him, seeing a sort of kinship. "Now, this is what the Fire Nation needs," she boasted, "Men who know and act. Duty and drive. All of you are weak like the people we must defeat."

The guardsmen were still dumbfounded as the volunteer grabbed Ty Lee by her manacled hands.

"Let me go!" She shouted as the yanked her along. She struggled against his grip to no avail. As he dragged her to wherever he desired. She had a hopeful thought that maybe, just maybe, he was going to hide her someplace away from Azula. They walked into one of the guard towers, now empty, and stopped their progress.

He pulled Ty Lee into one of the rooms, more like a closet on the ground floor. "What is this?!" She asked. "Where am I?!"

He created a small flame in one hand for them to see. And with the other hand, he covered her mouth, with so much force it twisted her head and almost broke her neck.

He whispered in her ear, "I haven't seen my wife in four months. And Princess Azula wants you to suffer. I will do my duty."

All she could do was scream bloody murder into his hand as he extinguished his flame and as she felt a warm hand starting to rip off her clothing.

Outside no one could hear the screaming or the brutality taking place in that closet. Azula was in the middle of a tirade. "Your spinelessness and comity with the enemies of the state are the reason why the world is still partitioned. Regrettably, only one of you lot were actually patriotic enough to do your duty. You answer to the Royal Family and only the Royal Family, not your conscience or your values, but you do your duty. The curtain is about to fall in this war, the scene is set, the destinies are already unfolding. Do not die in the last act. I won't hesitate to end your existence permanently. Do I make myself clear?"

Before they could answer, they saw heard the loud clicked that they usually only heard in drills. The trebuchet atop the owner was being loaded and calibrated. Each click symbolized about a hundred feet of firing power. Four clicks meant four hundred feet, dead center of the hot water.

"Do your duty my most loyal subject!" Azula shouted up loud enough for him to hear. She sounded out of breath with pleasure. And the sensation that she was feeling inside her was the same tingling ecstasy she got when pleasured herself. Only this time it felt ten times better. She must have been shaking as the guards who were still holding her up were starting to struggle.

He saluted his Princess with a look of stern deference painting his features.

And she came so hard that she thought she could die right there. She didn't make any noises because it gave her another level of pleasure to conceal it.

He released the tension on the sling and she went flying out. Her hands were bound so all the guards only saw her feet kicking and heard screaming. The faint echo of a splash resounded and a loud shriek that died away after about fifteen seconds and then silence. Mai's face was the picture of horror.

"What an artist!" Azula shouted.

All the guards realized what the rest of the world had known since the beginning of the war: people were dying at the whim insane people.

From his elevated position he saluted her again and disappeared into the tower again.

"And what shall I do with you?" Azula asked no one, "No takers?"

"Have mercy on her," said the warden, crying, still prostrate at her feet.

"Fine, I shall have mercy on her. She won't die."

"Thank you, Your Highness," he groveled.

"Tar the bitch." Azula ordered, "but don't waste any feathers."

* * *

In the present…

"You let Azula tar your niece?" Zuko spat the indictment at the warden, as he continued to walk towards him.

"What was I going to do?" The warden asked quickly and loudly, fearing the wrath of his Fire Lord as he felt his back hit the wall. The warden had nowhere to go and deep within himself accepted the reality that his life would be over soon. He was surprised how readily that resignation had settled on his soul. "Please don't." The warden cowered.

Zuko saw the fear in the warden's face and relented, "Where is she?"

"Do you want me to come in with you, Zuko?" Sokka asked as they stood in front with of the metal door of the infirmary.

"No." Zuko said quietly before walking into the room alone and shut the door behind him

Toph, who had remained silent the whole trip, spoke. "Her heartbeat is faint, Sokka. Just like Jet's was."

There was a lantern in the room and Zuko lit it.

He staggered back when he saw what was before him. She was covered in blackness and it covered her face too. Her eyes were sealed shut and some of it must have gone into her nose and mouth and maybe some went into her lungs, Zuko supposed. It must have been impossible for her to eat, and drinking must have been a chore. Ninety percent of her body must have been covered and he saw that they stripped her clothes off. As he saw the curves he had dreamt off covered and defiled by violence. Her left hand somehow was not touched when the poured the tar.

He pulled up a chair and sat next to her. Whispering, he said out loud to no one. "I shouldn't have left you. I thought that I, I knew that I was doing the right thing. I wanted peace for the world. I wanted a life that would not gnaw at my conscience. The war is over and now I have nothing to love. Destroyed. I destroyed the one who looked past my faults and still smiled at me."

She must have been asleep and feeling a presence woke her up. "Who's there?" she asked, her voice small, hoarse with the grating death rattle coloring a usually fresh voice.

"It's Zuko," he said.

"Zuko," even in this grave situation, her voice soared, she never thought that she would hear his voice again.

"I'm so sorry." He started crying, full on bubbering.

"Listen," her voice was weak and her breathing slowed, "The case is through with me, but you survived. I needed to tell you some things before I die."

"Don't talk like that." He said.

She ignored him, feeling a heaviness in her bones. "I love you, Zuko. I always did and I always will. Be a good Fire Lord and don't let me stop you from loving whoever loves you for who you are."

"Mai, I'm sorry."

"I forgive you for everything. Do you forgive me?" She asked feeling a sharp urgency that she never knew before.

"Yes, for everything." Zuko answered also feeling that time was swiftly running out.

"Do you love me Zuko?"

"Yes, more than you can ever know." He bent down and kissed her hand.

"I love you, Zuko." she said. He rose from her hand and put his hand into hers.

"I love you, Mai." he responded.

Then there was a deep exhalation, and her hand went limp, completely limp.

"Fuck," was all he could manage to say as he let her hand go.

He probably stayed in the room for another ten minutes, pacing, thinking, fuming, ready to kill his sister. He opened the door and saw Sokka and crumpled into his embrace.

"She's dead," Zuko gasped, his muscles totally giving up.

"Let's get outta here," Sokka said.

* * *

Leave a review, or PM me.


	5. The War Room and Marketplace Green

Saturday, September 15, 1900, 2:39 AM

"I killed her," Zuko was still grievous distraught, and his dismay was intensifying as that walked out of the infirmary. "She told me she loved me. I couldn't protect her."

"No you didn't Zuko, This isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself. I know how that feels," Sokka genuinely commiserated. "I know how you feel. But it will get better. I promise you it'll get better," he continued taking careful steps as they reached the outside.

What happened next moved even the stoic features of Toph Beifong. Zuko collapsed to his knees at the threshold of the hospital. His face was the picture of anguish as all his muscles tensed and the salty tears flowed freely, mixing with the anxious sweat of the evening. He felt a mighty scream, a roar rise from his deep inside him. His toes curled in his boots, his hands became fists that scooped up some of the loose dirt on the metal surface of the courtyard. His hands must have been hot because the dirt, which turned out to be sand melted and turned into glass. The sound that passed through his lips was a mixture of grief and pain and that deep, sinking feeling that something had been stolen from him. The feeling that something precious and rare had been taken away, and he found it broken.

"AHHH," it started, and the guards that had gathered around him, by then felt nothing but a deep feeling of culpability in the torture of their monarch. There was a profound guilt that would have led to many killing themselves in the old days. He lifted his gaze to the sky, many of the stars obscured by the steam rising from the crater around him.

As Zuko's wail into the distance started to reverberate in the distance, something strange happened. The sound grew louder and fire came out of his mouth. A beam of fire shot out of his mouth like a dragon, but the special thing about this was that it was more powerful than his uncle's. The fire was a blinding white like the sun. Sokka and all the guards had to shield their eyes. The guards took a few step back as the flame went up many feet into the air. Sokka had never seen fire so brilliant and beautiful, but he dreaded that the source of such beauty was such deep pain.

The beam weakened as Zuko stopped screaming, eventually disappearing as Zuko remained on his knees

"Let's get outta here," Sokka said again.

"I'll never love again." Zuko shouted.

"Yes, you will," Sokka said, dragging Zuko along, "There's someone out there who'll love you."

Appa approached knowing that it was necessary. Toph really thought in that moment that they did not give the bison enough credit. They manage to put Zuko into the saddle by way of metalbending, Toph lifting the ground up.

Appa took off and the started to fly back in the direction whence he came. Zuko was just a mess. His eyes were like faucets and even Toph was knocked out of her aloofness and felt awkward not knowing what to do to comfort him. Sokka embraced Zuko as the Fire Lord sobbed pitifully into his chest. Zuko's body was warm and his his tears seeped through to fabric of Sokka's shirt. Zuko's muscles showed no sign of relaxing though Sokka showed no particular aversion to being in this contact with Zuko. Toph noted Sokka's heartbeat was calm as Zuko's raced.

They must have flown for about an hour before Zuko detached himself and Sokka almost felt deprived of the warmth, firm muscles. He had to admit that something about the firm muscles gripping him felt right, as in correct, as in proper and appropriate. He would have to sort those feelings out later

The obvious question was a struggle but Sokka posed it anyway, "So where do want to go?"

Zuko's voice was low and bitter, "I want to pay a visit to my most loving little sister."

"Are you sure about-" Toph tried to ask?

"Yes, I am ready. I only have two things to say to her."

* * *

"Are you sure that you don't want us to come in with you?" Toph asked.

"No." He said coolly, "I need to speak to my dear sister, alone."

"I just don't think that's-" Toph tried again, finding it hard to assert herself.

"I think we should listen to Zuko on this one," Sokka said.

"Thank you," was all the Fire Lord said before he climbed down, "I'll be back soon."

He was calm, suppressing all of his emotion, as he walked into the front door of the prison. The guards did not hesitate to bring him to the chamber where his sister was being held.

"She refuses to eat my liege. We have tried to force her but she will just spit it out at us. And when we do get her to swallow, she just regurgitates it," One of the guards told him after he asked after Azula's general condition, "She is erratic and will wake up at all times of the night screaming."

The guard led him to the door that held in his sister (well, there was an inner cell within the room).

He opened the door.

She was awake and alert and a crooked grin appeared on her face.

Now her present condition: She was chained by the wrists and ankles. Her hair was a mess and when she looked out from under her hair her eyes were just off. They were not focused. The confident glisten that shone even in the dark was gone and her soul was probably as ravaged as Zuko's emotions were. She was seated in a metal chair facing the door, that only accompanied the metal bed. There were no sheets probably for fear that she would start fires. There were a set of bars between them though Zuko was sure that he would not need to defend himself.

"Hello, ZuZu." She said, her derangement evident in her voice.

"Hello, Azula." Zuko said with his voice completely recovered.

"So the Fire Lord comes and visits me in my lowly state." Azula declared in a way that sounded a bit like a question. "Why are you here?"

"Mai is dead." Zuko said, not even allowing any emotion to show.

Azula saw this and wanted to gain back control, "Aha, the bitch couldn't survive it."

It did not get a reaction from him, "And, dearest sister, you will be tried for it."

She shuddered at the fact that he did not react. "Well she betrayed me for you, Zuko. I am a princess, and no one betrays me."

"Two counts of murder," Still no reaction from him, "I will make sure that you have fair representation."

"And what Zuko?" She asked, "Are you going to charge Father with crimes too and try to embarrass us all."

Zuko was shocked in that moment but did not let it show, "Has no one told you Azula?"

"Told me what, ZuZu?"

"Our father is dead, Azula."

She sprang up from her seat and lunged at the bars that separated them. "NO, HE ISN'T"

"He is. Yameru."

"OUR FATHER DIDN'T LOSE TO A CHILD." She screamed.

Zuko rose, knowing that there was nothing to more to do.

"Come back here," she screamed again.

He turned around to exit the room.

"I SAID COME BACK HERE!" She screamed.

He turned his head just before he exited the room, "I will have the indictment sent to you within forty-eight hours."

* * *

They got back to the palace at about a quarter after five, so it was still plenty dark. Toph went to bed right away, leaving the boys alone. Neither of them felt that they could sleep. Furthermore, they did not want to wake anybody up, so they went into the kitchen, retrieved some ice cream from the refrigerator and decided to go to the Zuko's personal quarters in the palace.

That is not to say that they went to his bedroom, only to the sitting rooms in what was called the 'residence'. It was cool in there from the breeze that blew off of the ocean.

They sat in silence as Zuko contemplated what had happened in the last few hours. His body could not muster up any more tears, so he tried, with great effort and little success, to think other thoughts. In quantity, they were great, in quality not so much. Sokka sat across from him also thinking long and hard about the last few days, with one exception, Suki did not arise as the subject (or predicate). That, in real terms is not much different than how he thought from the beginning and only reinforced the salient fact that the relationship was artificial.

"It's been a rough week, Sokka."

Shocked that Zuko broke the silence, "Yeah, I would say so," he sighed a bit, "I don't even think 'intense' describes it. I don't know if there are any words to describe it and it's only Saturday morning."

"Yeah," Zuko looked up to the grandfather clock and read the time, "Still another twenty-one hours left."

"But no more loose ends," Sokka said, "Emotions, yes, but no more loose ends. You have the answers to your questions, though, they're not the answers you want. You're writing the warrant for the guard too."

"We may never find him."

"I know, but somehow, I think the warden will. He has his name and he'll never forget that face."

"I knew that she was evil, but it's the depths of it that surprised me. There was always a glint in her eye that showed something was off, it was calculating and conniving, but it was off the mark, wrong. And my mother knew it too. There was always a hesitation that my mother felt towards her."

"Oh." Sokka realized that Zuko had escaped into a tangent.

"She loved us both, equally. Azula always lied, pathologically."

"Always?"

"As soon as she could talk, she was lying," Zuko answered.

"Well, I won't."

"Thank you, Sokka," Zuko started, "But.. if you want to leave-"

"Wha-" Sokka cut him off and Zuko did the same continuing.

"This place is full of snakes. You already fought your war, Sokka. If you want to leave, don't let me trap you here. I shouldn't have asked you to stay. I-"

"Look, Zuko," Sokka started assertively, "I'm not leaving you now. I'm going to stay because I need to. And I'm going to stay because I _want_ to. You are my friend and I'm going to stay here because you asked me to. And if I were you… don't waste anymore breath trying to convince me otherwise."

"I wish I had your boldness," Zuko said, in awe that Sokka was going to stay with all this drama and intrigue.

"And I wish I had your composure,"Sokka admitted, "Speaking in front of all those people like that., I mean. I couldn't do that if I tried. The day of the invasion, when I was giving the plan for the day to the troops, I choked. I was like a choke... artist."

Zuko furrowed his brow, that was a new term. It had a certain ring to it that made him internalize its meaning. "You're plenty composed, Sokka," Zuko spoke, "I was the one losing it earlier."

"No, I… When Yue gave up her spirit to the moon… I-" Sokka's voice was cracking, so he stopped.

"I get it now." Zuko said.

"Now it's another thing we have in common." Sokka said.

"Well," Zuko said another thought hitting him, "since you're staying and I can't convince you otherwise, I need to write up an indictment of my sister."

"Wow, things are different here too."

"Pardon?"

"In the Southern Water Tribe, if a charge is made two separate judges have to rule on whether or not the trial may proceed. In the Earth Kingdom there has to be a grand jury."

"I am absolute. I can do whatever I want. Here you need a grand jury too, but this case isn't going to a regular court, or even to a supreme court."

"Where does this case go?" Sokka asked.

"The Star Chamber."

"Star Chamber?"

"Any other court would hesitate to even hear a case like this, so the Star Chamber is empanelled to hear the and decide it. The only reason I'd ever write an indictment is because the case cannot go to a common court."

Zuko got up and walked what looked like a wardrobe in the room. He opened it and retrieved some paper, a quill and inkwell (no ballpoint pen for formal documents), and some pounce.

Zuko came back to the table and set up.

He spoke aloud as he wrote, remembering to

"My sages and magistrates, I write to you to request the assembly of the Star Chamber to open an inquiry forthwith. The questions are as follows:

Is Azula, the Fire Princess, is guilty of the murder of Ty Lee Bao, and Mai Fu Ting?

Is Li Chen, guard at the Boiling Rock Penitentiary, is guilty of the murder of Ty Lee Bao and Mai Fu TIng?"

He stopped writing, "I feel as if I am forgetting something."

"What could it be?" Asked Sokka.

"Ah… I remember," he picked up his quill, dipped it and began to write again, "If you should determine guilt, what do you recommend as the punishment?"

* * *

9 AM, War Room

They talked and talked until an hour after the sun rose, went to their rooms and both showered to get rid of the nerves, the adrenaline, and the heaviness that last night's events had brought. While they showered the others ate breakfast, where Toph had told them the events. Aang and Katara were horrified and wanted immediately to comfort Zuko, rising from their seats. Suki was stoic, not seeming to care. She even had a smirk on her face.

She had slept on it. Their breakup, that is. She stilled blamed Zuko for tearing them apart. There was no reason behind it, but her feeling was deep, visceral, and undeniable. If looks could kill, Katara committed a bloody murder against Suki's person. Katara took a deep breath and now started to see why Sokka would have dumped her.

"Suki, I really don't think you're reacting the right way to this." Katara said.

"Don't tell me how to feel, Katara. I'm not in the mood to be preached at."

"You hear that Zuko's girlfriend is dead, and that does nothing to you. You don't feel anything?"

"I feel nothing about it. Remember that bitch kidnapped me with Azula and put me in a prison for five months. So Katara, if you're asking me if I feel bad that she got what was coming to her, no I don't."

"But this is not about you. This is about Zuko. Don't you care?"

"Yeah," Suki scoffed, "I care about the Fire Lord. I cared when he marched into my village and burned it down. Yeah, I cared when I was taken hostage. I cared for all of those refugees that I helped sneak into Ba Sing Se. So, yes I care, very much."

"You're being a b-" Katara stopped herself, now a part of her was glad that Sokka got away from her.

"What Katara? A bitch?" Suki asked.

"A baby. You're being a baby. I don't know what exactly happened between you and Sokka, but get over it."

"But-" Suki was about to interrupt.

"And if you can't get over it now, set it to the side for now. Fight sometime else please."

"Fine," Suki said, "I'll play nice, but if he says anything out of place, don't hold me responsible for what I'll say."

"I'm sure Sokka isn't interested in fighting with you," Aang, the supposed peacemaker, tried to reason.

"It ain't him I'm worried about," Suki muttered to herself. Only Toph heard it, and it was duly noted.

"I'm going to stay here," Toph said, "I think it'll be better if we wait for Zuko to come to us."

"I guess, you're right." Katara said, "What do you think, Aang?"

"Yes, you're right, Toph." The Avatar agreed, "He'll come to us when he's good and ready."

Suki still pouting, "And where is Sokka?"

"They talked all night probably." Toph said, "While we were coming back here, Sokka was the one doing the comforting. I felt like a failure almost I didn't know what to say or do."

"You were there for him and that's enough," Aang said.

"That's just it. I wasn't. I didn't say a word, and I went to sleep."

"I'm sure-" Katara was interrupted by the opening of the the doors with Zuko and Sokka walking in.

* * *

9 AM

There was a large square called Marketplace Green about three-quarters of a mile to the south of the palace through which all of the citizens of the capital had to traverse as _all_ of the markets were located here. In the center of that the Green there was a large pole that was about thirty feet high. The pole used to be the tree under which may goods and shares of businesses were sold. Merchants used to post signs advertising sales and auctions, and the people would read the posters. Over the years, the branches were shorn off to accommodate more posters as the city's population grew in number.

There was always a spot reserved for news from the Royal Palace. That morning as the group ate their breakfast, some pages came down from the Palace and posted the news, driving the parchment into the trunk with nails. The people all gathered around to read it. Some were shocked, others horrified, all surprised by the news.

The Fire Princess had killed two people?!

There was much consternation and noise as the people grumbled.

* * *

War Room

"...so that's why the Star Chamber will investigate this," Zuko finished explaining.

"I think that's the best way to do it," Sokka agreed.

"And what if they recommend that you kill her?" Aang asked Zuko, "You couldn't kill, your own sister?" Aang paused expecting an answer.

Zuko just inhaled deeply and said nothing.

"Could you?" Aang asked again, terrified.

* * *

Marketplace Green

One person had taken the liberty to read the posting to the crowd. Much debate ensued indeed.

"He won't kill his sister." One voice.

"Yes, he might." Another said.

"He can't, that's royal blood." A third opinion.

The voices continued, men, women, children.

"What if she's just crazy"

"If she's insane, just kill her."

"No, just lock her up."

"He won't kill her, he knelt before a whole nation and apologized, like a little weakling."

"Shut up, Ren. That's makes him strong to admit that he was wrong"

"You're a draft dodger, anyway!"

* * *

War Room

A spirited debate continued between the two most powerful men in the world continued.

"...any other person would be put to death for this," Zuko said.

"That doesn't make it right." Aang said.

"The death penalty is a question that I would have to ask the people. That cannot be a unilateral decision. The question of my sister is different and a complex one. If they recommend death, do I kill him and pardon her to life imprisonment. Do I follow the Star Chamber's advice exactly? Do I convict neither of them?"

* * *

Marketplace Green

The 'draft dodger' had the upper hand on Ren now. The latter's nose was bloody and his eyes blackened, through the swelling had just started. The 'draft dodger', Dong, showed that he had the grit to make it in the army, it was just that his asthma prevented him.

In the back of his mind, he wondered how he was even fighting Ren who was considerably greater in size and stature. He looked around and saw that other people in the crowd had resorted to fisticuffs.

Bickering begat brawls, it seemed.

* * *

War Room

"We just have to agree to disagree on this one, Aang." Zuko said, not having the drive to argue any further, "Besides this isn't the _most_ pressing issue."

"Fair enough," The Avatar relented.

"It's not like there's going to be a huge riot over th-"

A fierce knocking at the door, stopped him. The person outside did not wait for permission.

"What the hell is going-" Zuko started to ask.

"My Lord," the page who entered the room spoke as he kowtowed, "There is a riot at Marketplace Green. Scores of people are fighting. Do you want to dispatch troops, milord?"

"No."

"No? Sire, I don't-"

Zuko spoke authoritatively, "I will go out there, myself."


	6. Fire, a Black Ribbon, and Nakedness

Saturday, September 15, 1900, 9:29 AM, Marketplace Green

Much to the chagrin of all the guards and sages and pages, Zuko rode Appa the short distance to where the riot was taking place. There was a great amount of fore and fist being thrown back and forth between what seemed to be two factions. The rest of the gang, who, of course, accompanied Zuko looked at the riot below them with trepidation. Suki's absence was no longer a point of contention, and no one spoke on that subject. The violence beneath them was to incredible. They landed about 30 yards out from the fighting. Appa was not keen on being involved in any more violence, understandably.

"Zuko, are you sure that you don't want the arm-" Aang asked, before being interrupted.

"No, the the Fire Lord needs to put this down himself," Zuko said, getting a few sets of furrowed eyebrows in response for his use of the third person. "Look, I want to be different than all the other Fire Lords who sat in that Palace and didn't understand the people of this nation." His words were especially poignant now that he was dressed the same way he was during the war, after he joined Aang, of course. He looked like a regular citizen and he reasoned that would allow him to speak to them with a greater amount of understanding. He wanted the people closer to him for a plethora of reasons.

"Zuko, Katara entered the mix, "Are you sure this is wise? You could get hurt."

"Any bruises I get here wouldn't be the worst pain I've had," he countered sternly, stepping down.

"Well, I'm coming with you," Toph was about to step down.

"No, I have to do this by myself." He insisted, with a great of assertion and respect.

"No, you don't," Katara said looking down.

"He does," Sokka finally spoke, "It would just look like we're muscling in on his leadership. He has to be in complete control."

"Sokk-" Katara went.

"Now's not the time for argument," Sokka stopped his sister, "Go, Zuko!" Zuko took the advice immediately and started to walk away, well, into the fighting.

"Sokka, what the-" Toph started.

"I didn't say that we would have his back," Sokka said, gingerly climbing down, "But he has to appear to do this himself."

They all climbed down and kept far behind him. Sokka kept a greater distance due to his injury, but was close enough to see Zuko.

Somehow, Zuko walked into the riot effortlessly. He was floating like a butterfly between the thrusts of fists and fire. Sokka and all the others wondered what he was doing trying to walk to the center of the fray. Aand and the others were closer, but they were still a considerable distance away. Zuko found his way to the center of the fighting . He stood up straight, squaring his shoulder. He looked straight up at the sky, clenching his fists, tapping into his emotion, his heart, the source of his firebending. He found that it was still just as broken as it was last night, and this time he was in control of how much of the pain and grief he let out. He started taking deep breaths through his nose. He was almost in a meditative trance. With each deep breath in, Zuko exhaled a puff of smoke through his nose. With each breath, his core got hotter, and his inner fire burned brighter. He felt the flame rising up through him, up from lungs and heart. He felt it in his throat, and then in his mouth. He felt it on his teeth.

Zuko opened his mouth and and screamed, "STOP!".

And with the vowel in that word, another beam of fire, as bright as the sun came from Zuko. This beam was more refined and thinner but went up a higher than the fire he felt last night.

The people all around him stopped fighting to look over at the light. Upon first glance, they all had to look away because it was too bright. The fire was so concentrated in that beam the heat was concentrated just around him.

He stopped screaming and in an instant was on his feet, his fist clenched in anger. It was then when Sokka, Aang, and Katara noticed that he was taller than the average citizen. There was a beat of silence as the people look at who interrupted their violence. Then there was a whooshing as a thousand people got down and kowtowed immediately. He walked through the crowd careful not to step on anyone's hands. He was making his way to what amounted to a small hill.

"Arise, my people, I have something to say."

The citizens rose and crowded together in front of the mound so that the all see them. This is the second time he addressed his people, and with the Capital being a relatively small town, he saw some of the same faces that he greeted _yesterday_. The emotions of those faces were embarrassment, shame, with a few tinges of anger on those who had been disagreeing and fighting most vehemently. Two days, two speech, with two different tones. This time he had to come up with the words by himself. He had none of Sokka's poetry, and had all the negative emotions that the last forty-eight hours had presented him. Now he had to pick his words quickly, but carefully.

Being the Fire Lord was going to be hard work.

"Just yesterday, I addresses you as I know I shall frequently. I recognize, acutely, that these are times of great change and confusion. So many aspects of our lives have changed in the last few days. The War is over and I am your new Fire Lord. There are many questions being asked of me right now and I have have to make many decisions on behalf of the realm. My objectives for this Nation is that we may have peace and harmony."

"I am not so removed from your lives that I do not understand your passion. I know it must be a great shock to see that my sister is being investigated by the Star Chamber. I know that the accusation must be too incredible for you to have even imagined. But this is not fiction and the truth will be found out."

"This Nation is unified by our people and by our laws. If a murder was committed, I will have to perpetrator brought to justice no matter how high or low they are. Wickedness in high places will not stand as long as I am the Fire Lord.

"My heart is broken, terribly broken by the terrible death of the Lady Mai, the love and joy that sustained me."

There was a gasp from the crowd, then murmurs.

"One thing that is not broken is my faith in my people. In this difficult time I know that you will be my strength. You will sustain me."

The people started applauding.

"All I require of you to to go about your lives in a peaceful way, while I work to make sure the rest of the world can do the same."

He took a deep breath. Appa was directly in front of him, behind the crowd. Zuko made the decision to walk through them. The people cleared a path as he trod, almost marched through them. Most tried to smooth out the wrinkles in their clothing and wipe the sweat off their brow on what was a typical Fire Nation summer day.

He climbed into the saddle, now filled up with the members of Team Avatar. His gaze was fixed on the crowd as they started to lift off. The crowd's gize was on him. It jarred him little to see that every head swiveled to see him take off. A few people even saluted.

What was worse, nobody said a word as they flew back to the palace.

* * *

1:15 PM

The others had congratulated Zuko on his endeavor, and discussed at length how good it was. Zuko had not meant to but he ignored them. Somehow he only wanted to hear the advice of the person he had appointed as his chief advisor.

"Yes, you did a great job." Sokka said seated in the most comfortable chair in Zuko's sitting room.

"But they were so machine like in their response. It was just silence. I was like talking to statues." Zuko answered, pacing back and forth.

"They're trying to figure you out." Sokka said, with an air of certainty they unnerved and heartened the Fire Lord at same time.

"What?"

"Zuko, aren't you like the youngest ever?"

"Yes."

"And you're inheriting the strangest predicament the world has ever faced. They don't know what to think of you. Let's not kid ourselves the last three Fire Lords were thugs and bullies. You're not. They just don't know what to expect. Do Fire Lords often talk to the public?"

"Historically, they didn't." Zuko admitted, sitting down, in a chair facing the the Tribesman.

"And you've spoken to them twice in the last two days. And did they ever have the FIre Lord apologize?"

"No, never."

"And has a Fire Lord ever told the people His Programme for government?"  
"No."

"And has a Fire Lord ever told the people that he was heartbroken?"

"No…" Zuko connected all the dots.

"You're breaking with all the traditions, and they're going to be jarred by it."

"Since when were you such a genius?" Zuko asked, half as a joke and in astonishment that he understood so well.

"I have my moments."

Zuko laughed heartily for what felt like the first time in his life. His laugh faded away and there was a silence between them before Zuko started speaking again. This time the subject matter was darker.

"I'm just terrified that I'll fail. I can't afford to fail." Zuko sort of blurted out.

"Fail?" Sokka asked genuinely confused, his genius status now questionable.

"I failed once. I couldn't save one person and now I have to save the whole Nation." Zuko was not sad for Mai's murder in that moment, but rather he was actually writhing, shaking with fear, concern, and self-doubt.

"You have Aang and right on your side. And for whatever it means you have me on your side too."

"I know I do, but I am alone."

Flabbergasted Sokka replied gently, "But I just said we're with you."

"The whole world is on my shoulders. I might not be alone, but I am as lonely as they come."

"Oh," Sokka realized that there were many layers to this, "I know in my heart that there's someone out there for you. You're a good decent man, Zuko. You've gone through some things and done some things but there's no one breathing who hasn't done something they regretted. Your soulmate is out there. Closer than you might think."

Sokka paused, not knowing what that last sentence meant.

"I hope you're right"

"I know I am"

At that instant there was a swift knocking at the door.

"Milord, there is news."

"Come in."

And the door was thrust open. A boy of about twelve. He rushed in with the scroll in his hand. He knelt at the Fire Lord's feet.

"Thank you, squire," he said as he looked at the scroll in his hand. He shuddered a little bit. The squire boy left the room at the same speed at which he entered.

"What's wrong?" Sokka asked, noticing his reaction.

"Black Ribbon." Zuko said his hand trembling. He handed it to Sokka, "You read it."

Sokka undid the ribbon and started. "A report from General Fung. My Lord, Earth Kingdom," Sokka's eyes grew wide and he started to read faster, "Earth Kingdom forces have entered the colonies. Current estimates say that 10,000-12,000 soldiers have been dispatched to each of the seventeen prefectures. 170,000, at least, in the colonies, altogether. Awaiting your orders. Ordered my soldiers not to attack and to retreat and hold bases. Soldiers standing their ground at bases and precincts. There is chaos and rioting in the streets. Awaiting your orders."

Zuko was standing and pacing again, "SHIT!"

Just then, without a cursory knock, the door flew open. Aang, Katara, Toph and Suki walked, no, rushed in.

"Zuko, something's very wrong," Aang said seriously, "I had a vision of-"

Sokka interrupted him- "It's real. At least 170,000 Earth Kingdom troops in the colonies."

"No, that's our land!" Suki barked, "It's about time we took it back." The animosity she felt towards the pair of them was obvious, but Sokka had the realization that she would be stepping out of his life permanently, and he did not feel grief or sorrow, but sort of joy and relief that tasted bittersweet in his mouth.

"Well, Zuko," Sokka said, ignoring her, "If Aang knows, I think that's it's better that he solves the problem."

"And what am I supposed to do?" The Avatar was quite pensive.

"How about this?" Toph started, "Zuko you tell your troops to stand down and put them at the disposal of the Avatar, and Aang you can direct the troops as you see fit."

"So, you're gonna have the Avatar turn against the Earth King?" Suki spat her words, "What kind of subject are you?"

"Calm down, Suki. This isn't about you," Toph replied. Suki only huffed in response

"Look," Sokka was in full advice mode, "There are several problems here."

"No shit." His ex retorted.

"First, the people are in chaos because they don't know who is in control. In most of those colonies anyway, they don't feel Fire Nation _or_ Earth Kingdom. They feel different They see Earth Kingdom soldiers marching in as just as much of an invasion as those first days of the War when the FIre Nation attacked. But they do not like Fire Nation troops there either, it feels like an occupation rather than a welcome police force.

'Second, any act of aggression on the Fire Nation's part will just make World War Two. But here in the islands you can't be seeming to surrender. It would just jeopardize this your rule.

'Third, Aang cannot be seen as taking a side in this." Sokka turned towards the Avatar, "If you take charge of Zuko's troops, the Earth Kingdom will go nuts. If you appear to be on their side, the Fire Nation citizenry will look on you again as the enemy?"

Quoth Aang, "So, again, what am I supposed to do?"

Sokka started, "Go to the colonies-"

Zuko connected the dots, "And restore the peace among the citizens. I tell my troops to return their bases and to stand their ground. And if the Avatar tells the Earth King's Generals and troops to stand down, they'll listen."

"But who's going to be in control of the colonies, then?" Katara and Toph asked simultaneously.

"It has to be you, Aang." Sokka said.

"What?!"

Zuko continued, "Look, Aang, seventeen Governors-General have disappeared. The fact that there is chaos in the streets proves that no Earth Kingdom Government has taken its place. The people want a leader. I can't do it. Kuei can't do it-"

Suki interrupted him, "That's Earth King Kuei to you!"

Zuko ignored her, "So, I think it has to be you."

"We should get going then." Aang said exhaling deeply. "Sokka you should stay here with Zuko. We don't need to aggravate your injury."

"Fine, it you get flying soon you can get out there before the sun sets." Sokka stated.

"Everyone in?" Aang asked.

"Of course," Katara said.

"You know it." Toph added.

"Suki?" Aang asked, slightly intimidated by her.

"Fine, but I'm doing this for my Kingdom." She huffed.

* * *

7:30 PM

"I hope he succeeds," Zuko said pacing, "This is going to be in all of the papers tomorrow."

"He defeated Ozai, he can put down an uprising." Sokka said from his chair again sitting, nibbling on something.

"I was going to wait until Monday to speak with the Sages to get their advice, but I'll have to meet with them tomorrow."

"You've sent down the word that you are going to meet with them?"

"I have," Zuko answered, "And from now on we'll be getting intelligence briefings. Everything you hear in there will be the freshest information in the world. I think they know what's going on in the Earth Kingdom Court before the Earth King does. And now we will too. No pressure," Zuko chuckled.

"I think I can handle that," Sokka said. "Now," he said yawning, "We've been up for many hours now. I need to sleep. Especially if tomorrow is going to be as busy as today and yesterday. All the days are melting together."

"Sounds familiar." Zuko remarked.

"During the War, I felt the same," Sokka said. He got up and walked towards the door. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No," Zuko said, "Thank you, Sokka. Go get some rest."

"Yes, My Lord." Sokka said the words playfully, but Zuko really liked how they sounded. It was as if for the first time they sounded right in his ears. They sounded so right coming from Sokka.

He watched the Water Tribesman leave and sat down in the room by himself. And for the first time in so many weeks he was alone. He wanted to cry, but he could not. He could not because there were too many other things. A conflict in the colonies. Upheaval in his own streets. Suki's angst. Too many other things to think about. He knew that Mai would not want him to be distracted, but that was hard.

He wondered how quickly he would go gray in this place. It was a bubble, a richly ornamented, and well looked after bubble, but a bubble nonetheless. The people could not see in, and in many respects he could not see out. He would not, could not understand how the people thought. He could only wonder if hey understood a thought occurred to him. Maybe he could speak directly through him through the newspapers. He had to ask Sokka!

He looked at the grandfather clock, only a few minutes had passed. He got up from his chair and started to work his way towards Sokka's room.

' _I'm sure he's not asleep yet.'_ Zuko thought.

He found himself at the threshold of Sokka's door and was about to knock when he found that it was slightly ajar. There was just enough of a crack for Zuko to see into the room. The Fire Lord did not know what possessed him to peek instead of knock, but he peered through the crack.

He was right. Sokka was not asleep yet.

Sokka was taking off his robes, and had stripped to the last layer. He was facing away from the door and the bed obscured the everything from below his knees. Gingerly, he took off the last layer of those robes that Fire Nation nobles wore. Somehow, with all the layers, the robes were always cool. At that point Sokka was only was only wearing underwear, what the soldiers call boxer briefs, red of course. Then he slid the Fire Nation underwear off and was completely naked.

Sokka, needless to say was in fine shape. His shoulders were broad and when he stretched his arms out, it showed the muscles that he kept well toned with his swordsmanship. Zuko paid special attention to the line, the deep, perfectly straight groove in his back that followed his spine. He looked to where the line met Sokka's buttocks. They were firm as was the rest of him, but they were ample and looked as if they would be 'responsive'. Zuko look on as the golden light cast on Sokka's back and ass from the setting sun made Sokka glisten. Zuko felt an attraction, a lust to the man in front of him. At seventeen years old it never occurred to Zuko that he could find another male appealing in any way. The bulge that formed under his robe was proof enough that he had that capability.

Zuko who was still peering through his narrow vantage was gawking, gaping, ogling Sokka. Zuko would not admit it of course and he took comfort in the fact that no one could hear his thoughts and that no one could see his spying.

' _Wow, he's toned,"_ Zuko thought _._

His thoughts turned more, shall we say, fleshly.

" _Fuck, that's sexy. I wonder what his front looks like,"_

Zuko stepped away from the door, backing up slowly.

He lifted his trembling hands to right in front of his face. Quickly, he left the space by Sokka's room.

He got to his chamber less than fifteen seconds later and shut the doors behind him.

"I shouldn't be thinking about him like that." He somewhat shouted, into his big empty room. "I'm not like _that!_ Am I?"

Immediately looked down at his robe. His cock was still hard and twitching. He closed his eyes in an attempt to ward off the thoughts. That proved to be fruitless, in fact counterproductive. The images of Sokka's body kept replaying.

He tried shaking his head to rid himself of the pornography in his head. His cock was still standing up straight under his robes. By instinct, he felt his hand reaching for the tool.

"No, no, no," he muttered to himself, "I'm not going to jerk off thinking about Sokka."

* * *

I think I'm going to end it right there. Thanks Ayame22794 and MizoreBloodtooth for following. And thanks again to Ayame22794 for favoriting.


	7. Sunday Morning

Happy New Year! Thanks babygirl2224 for adding this to your favorites.

* * *

Sunday, September 16, 1900, 7:27 AM,

Sokka woke up in a sweat. The previous night was not particularly hot and it wasn't the weather that had him drenched. He moved his leg slightly and felt something sticky. Well, it was a different sort of sticky. It became obvious to him what had happened, It must have just occurred in the last few moments because upon inspection he found that the evidence was still warm.

He had not had a wet dream in a long time, and when he did it was usually the same one every time with Yue and he making love in the spirit Oasis on the grass, her body glowing like the moon. He hadn't had the dream since he had gotten back together with Suki. This dream was different. It was mysterious.

It went like this:

He was in the Fire Lord's house on Ember Island late at night during the summer, The moon was full, as if giving it's light as approval to the dream. He was walking through the hallway, made thirsty but the intense heat of the day. Suddenly a figure appeared, wearing a black hood that covered the entirety of their reached out an arm and grabbed Sokka by his and started running, of course Sokka's leg was not injured in the dream. They ran to a spot that was hid away from the rest of the house.

"What's going on?" Sokka asked.

"Shhhh," The figure responded, still pulling him through the halls.

Sokka looked down at the hand wrapped around his wrist. Only the hand was visible under the black of the cloth, the skin was white and delicate and was very stark and was in its contrast was very attractive.

The form stopped dragging him along and they found themselves in a hidden away corner towards the back of the house. Sokka shut his eyes for only a second when he felt a pair of lips pressed against his. The next thing was strange. Sokka couldn't open his eyes. It was like he was blindfolded. He felt the other's need. It was a demand. Sokka complied and let the other person in and the battle started. Sokka had never kissed anyone so passionately. He and his lover battle as their tongues swirled in passion. Sokka felt a frantic, hot energy off the as their tongues fought for dominance. Sokka knew he was winning because dominance was his forte, his pose, not that he faked masculinity.

Sokka was ready to go for the kill (so to speak) in that passionate embrace, the other broke off the connection. Sokka opened his eyes again, breathless from making out, and saw something quite astounding. He was no longer eye level with his enchantress, he assumed, and he looked down to see some eager and trembling fingers working around the hem of his shorts.

"What are you doing?" Sokka asked, as he felt the warmth around his crotch disappear as the seducer pulled down his shorts. And the same hands started to rub Sokka's cock through his underwear. All Sokka could do was moan into the air and he felt the hands pull down the underwear. The milky white hands started stroking his cock and Sokka's back arched in ecstasy.

And then Sokka felt something even better. The other started, in the gentlest of ways, to do something even more intimate. Sokka's felt the same tongue had been in his mouth started licking his cock, reticent at first. The stranger focused the tongue swirls on the head, lapping up the pre-cum that Sokka had been oozing for the past few minutes. Special attention was given to the head as a skillful tongue licked and twirled under his foreskin. The hand that had been jerking him off was now fixed on the base of his cock, moving up slowly, as if squeezing every last drop of that clear ,sticky, slightly salty fluid out of Sokka. The other hand was rubbing up and down Sokka's legs which were covered in a fairly abundant amount of hair.

The other started sucking his dick in earnest, bobbing up and down on Sokka's endowment. The tribesman's back arched further than he ever thought possible as his lover got more and more ambitious taking in more and more of Sokka's manhood. Sokka closed his eyes and took the hood into his hands and started thrusting in, not to roughly, as the taker moaned long and deep. Sokka continued fucking the anonymous mouth in front of him, knowing that his climax was coming soon. He reveled in the fact that even as he had full control a skilful tongue was still working, massaging the underside of his dick.

The hand that had been caressing his legs now moved up to Sokka's groin. One was stroking Sokka's dick and the other was reaching behind and was playing with his asshole. Sokka was jarred by the fact that he liked it. In fact, he leaned in to the finger that wanted entrance and sort of ground his hips into it.

Soon enough, he knew he was reaching the point of no return. He felt the pressure building in his groin as the lover continued the to bob up and down.

"Ah, fuck," was all Sokka could moan as the apparition moved his hands from his ass and put pressure on what Fire Nation Soldiers called "taint".

Sokka exploded sending jets of cum down his lover's throat. It was swallowed with gusto as Sokka writhed in ecstasy, as the lover relentlessly licked and slurped up every last drop of cum.

It was at that very moment Sokka woke up, again glistening with 'passion sweat'. The last thing he wanted to be was distracted. He had a big meeting with the Sages and Zuko. He would be one of fourteen people (12 Sages, Zuko, and himself) privy to the most sensitive information in the whole Nation, maybe in the world, and he would be wondering who the hell he was imagining sucking his dick. Pale complexion and long hair was all he had to go by. That could be any girl in the Fire Nation, or lots of girls in the Earth Kingdom, Suki and maybe even Toph.

"Yuck, she's a little girl," he muttered to himself.

He sat at the edge of the bed and looked at the clock in his room. It would soon be eight o'clock. He started hustling.

* * *

Zuko's night had been just as eventful, in reality that is. He did not sleep too well. He spent the whole night running through the full myriad of emotions, silently, pacing as he thought all night.

First, it was guilt: _He's my friend, my MALE friend, I shouldn't be thinking of him like that. I shouldn't have gone to him after I said 'goodnight'. I should've knocked. I shouldn't have looked in like that. I fucking looked at him that whole time. And I got hard looking at him. Spying is wrong, Zuko._

Secondly, lust: _But he was so fucking hot. I just wanted to taste him. He looked so fucking hot. He was so ripped and everything was so tight on him. I wonder what those blue eyes would look like when-_

Then, silent, mercurial, hysterics: _Zuko, do you really like that? I mean do you really like guys? Like do you 'like' like guys? Or is it just Sokka? Fuck, and what about him? What if he doesn't like me back? Well, okay, I do like guys. Right. Right? No, yes, I mean I like what I saw. That fucking boner was proof, don't think Mai even got me that hard. Shit, Mai, I keep forgetting about her with all this . What was it she said, 'Don't let me stop you from loving whoever will love you for who you are.' It was a deliberate mouthful. She knew what she was telling me. But is it Sokka? Is he even homosexual? Am I? I liked Mai. We made out a lot. Never got hard like this though. Never knew that I should have. Do I like both? What would be the word for that 'duosexual'? 'Diplosexual'?_

* * *

9 AM

"Before we begin, Sages, I want to thank you for your leadership while I was incapacitated. You held the nation together at the height of a crisis and for that I will be forever grateful." Zuko said seated where his father, and grandfather and every other Fire Lord had sat, he looked down to his right and saw that Sokka was seated at his right hand.

"Master Sokka, as all the people have dubbed him, will be in these proceedings as long as he so chooses. And you will answer his questions the same way you will answer mine. I know that I have not been briefed in the past few days and I know that you must have many pages of information to review with me so… Let's hear it."

One of the robed men stood up, "We know that the issue of the Star Chamber inquiry is of great importance to you, so I can report that it has been assembled and they will begin…"

Zuko was struggling to focus, he kept looking down at Sokka who was on a platform that was maybe two and a half feet below him. There was just something about how the orange light of the fires glistened on Sokka's skin and in his eyes that distracted and frustrated him. He was very far away and missed a report about the Star Chamber almost in its entirety. None of the Sages noticed his absent-mindedness. It reminded them of Ozai, who only asked questions rarely.

"...so the Star Chamber may take two to three weeks," Sage Jiang concluded, before sitting down.

"Anything on the Colonial Problem?" Sokka asked.

Another Sage (much younger and more handsome than the others, 25 years old) stood up, this one was called, Hashi, "Avatar Aang has arrived safely and I'm receiving hourly reports. There have been some casualties, Most of them civilians, I'm afraid. In several of the Colonies the Earth Army have been totally rejected by the inhabitants and have been pushed back into the Earth Kingdom Proper. In some other places they have been welcomed in with open arms, being fed and quartered, with some marriages already being reported."

Zuko scoffed, "Can someone just march in one day and fall in love heart that quickly? Incredible."

"I've know it to happen, milord. Something tells me however that these relationships have been going for longer as this is was a colony that was only nominally. We had stations and precincts there but there was no real control being exerted. They were paying Fire Nation taxes but were Earthminded from the start. Many of the boys would run and join the King's Army anyway, but it was never enough of a threat to be worth suppressing.

"A further group seems to have taken up against both armies and wants to be left alone."

"They're the most dangerous," Sokka chimed in.

"Precisely, Sir," Sage Hashi answered, his gold eyes flickering with light as he saw an ally in Sokka "WE cannot control them, but neither can the Earth King. They rave and shout and tar people. They run around and several noblemen and landed gentlemen have stirred up the crowd with many ideas. Right here," and Hashi reached down and grabbed a pamphlet from the table in front of him, "Right here, I have some of the literature. 'No taxation without representation. The Fire Lord taxes us without giving us a say. The Earth King wants to do the same. Let's make a republic, sign your name."

"And are the people for it?" Zuko asked.

"A vast majority of them in many of the colonies are. I'm certain that the Avatar is finding that out now."

"I think we should just pull out of there." Sokka said.

Zuko looked down, "Why?"

"That is a political issue that the Fire Nation doesn't have time to be involved in. Besides those people, and I've met them. They're not Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom. They're something totally different. The Republicans will fight with every last breath to be free of both countries. I say don't waste anymore blood and treasure fighting a war we can't win."

Hashi nodded along, but another Sage (older, the amount wrinkles probably matched his advanced age), stood up and vociferously started to attack Sokka, spitting his words like poison.

"Who do you think you are? Who do you think you are to tell us that there's ever been are ever will be war we cannot win?! Tell me right now what a Water Tribe peasant boy would understand about our way of life, our passion, our zeal, or our power?"

Zuko was on his feet in an instant and was about to destroy the Sage, Akuno was his name. The flames in the chamber had grown, and were white with Zuko's anger.

He felt something grab his right wrist and stopped lunging before he started. Zuko looked over and Sokka's face was serious. Sokka's eyes were serious and in control. No words were exchanged and none were needed. It was just the emotion Sokka conveyed through those steely blue, yet caring eyes. Something about them made Zuko feel…

Peace?

Zuko sat down slowly, as he exhaled a bit of fire through his nose and the flames in the room were subdued too.

Sokka spoke, gritting his teeth, but civilly, "With all due respect, Sir. All I meant is that you cannot win over an ideology that something like 90 percent of people believe in. I have seen the fruits of your people's determination in good ways and in bad ways. I just more concerned with bringing these boys back to their families than I am with having another bloody war a few weeks after we wrapped up one that lasted century. All I want is for the twentieth century to be peaceful."

"Sokka's right," Zuko said. "Pull all of my troops out of those areas where they are not wanted. Keep the troops there where they are loved. I think we can use that in any negotiations."

"So it is written, so it shall be done," the Sage Secretary said.

* * *

1:07 PM

There was a knock at the door to Zuko's sitting room.

"Come in." He said without moving, reading the latest hourly dispatch from the colonies.

Sage Hashi walked in.

"What can I do for you Sage."

"I apologize for Akuno."

"It wasn't you who offended and it wasn't I who was offended. He owes an apology to Sokka, not you to me. Thank you for your detailed report this morning." Sokka was not there, he was being examined by the physician, the cast was going to be able to come off soon.

"It is my duty."

"And I am commending you for doing it well."

"Thank you."

"Is there something else?" Zuko asked as he went back to the report in front of him.

"Yes, the other Sages did not want to address this in front of Master Sokka. They did not even want to bring it up with them there. They don;t know how you're going to react and they sent me. I guess since we're the closest in age, though I don't know what that has to do with it." He was sounding nervous.

"What is it?"

"The succession-"

Zuko stood up again being angered today, "Succession, I have no intention of dying yet!"

"Yes, my Lord."

"I am seventeen years old and you're telling me that you're thinking about my death."

"No , Sir. We are not in any way imagining that. It is the absolute last thing we want to see, but as of right now there is no heir apparent and that makes my fellow sages quite nervous."

"Well they can stay nervous. Tell them that it will be taken care of."

"Sir?"

"The succession will be attended to when it comes."

"I don't understand," Hashi said.

"What is not to understand?"

"Are you saying that you will not marry, find and take a wife?"

"No, not now. The girl who had the best odds was buried at sea and her funeral service is tomorrow. So, no Sir, my concern right now is not taking a wife."

"What shall I tell them?"

"I will take a wife when I want a wife."

"Yes, Sir." He left.

Zuko sat back down and resumed his reading. Just then Sokka walked in, and by walked, I mean that the cast was off.

"Sokka, how did it come off so quick?"

"Katara did some magic trick with her magic water and I'm healed in only five days. She's talented." He changed subjects,"Hashi was in a rush. Did you just scream at him?"

"No, not quite."

"Not quite?"

"They asked me about marrying someone."

"Damn, already? Sokka was surprised.

"I know, I'm only seventeen."

"No, it's not that," Sokka said, "I meant so early into your reign. I mean people in the Water Tribe get married at sixteen, seventeen. A twenty-two year old girl who's not married is a spinster."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm running late according to our customs." Sokka said.

"Well, soon enough you'll be married and happy." Zuko said, "Then you can play catch up."

"I've been missing years and years of sex," Sokka chuckled thinking back to his dream the night before.

"You mean Suki never?"

"No, and I'm glad about it. Risking a kid with her, not thank you."

"You poor bastard."

"Ok hotshot, Mai was more 'receptive'?"

"I was close, so close and I had to leave to join you. That very night she promised that she was going to… that we were going to… and I left her waiting."

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Sokka said.

"And I shouldn't have asked first."

It was just then that they realized how close they were standing next to each other. They both were leaning on the back of one of the fancy red sofas that typified The Fire Palace. They took a couple of awkward steps away from each other.

* * *

Please tell me what you think below!


	8. Cactus Juice

9:37 PM

Zuko found himself outside Sokka's door again, not peering in, but standing in front of it. He knocked. He heard quite a bit of movement and stirring. It must have been two or three minutes before the door opened. Zuko was a bit nervous by the delay.

Sokka opened the door wearing a robe, a lounging robe (Zuko was glad that Sokka was starting to really understand the . It was made of fine satin. Zuko wasn't going to tell him but the robe was an item of lingerie but Zuko was rejoicing in the fact that it was apparently left in the closet. Zuko was checking him out, now that he was able to see Sokka's front he took some mental notes and mental pictures. There was a bit of hair on Sokka's chest. He also noted that there was a definite bulge down there, and he wondered if that was its natural hang or if he was a bit aroused. Whatever the case, those rumors he had heard about Water Tribe Men were definitely true.

"What's wrong, Zuko?" The question was asked in a understanding yet a little frustrated as if he was interrupted.

"Oh, if you're busy."

"No… no, come in," Sokka opened the door and Zuko walked in. The room was warm and inviting. Zuko's nose perked when he smelled coconut. And the scent of it drenched the room. Zuko loved coconut so he didn't mind. In fact, he was lulled by it.

"What can I do for you?" Sokka asked, now fully committed to helping Zuko, whatever he was doing now an afterthought.

"I don't know if I can do this, Sokka." Zuko was in a bit of a crisis.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm terrified."

"Terrified of what, Zuko?" He sat on the edge of his bed and invited Zuko to do the same.

Zuko did and continued, "Rejection. My life. Making mistakes. This whole thing. When I was a little kid, I was fourth in line. I knew that it wouldn't happen and I slept secure in the knowledge that this unwieldy thing, being a statesman, being a ruler, would never, ever fall in my lap. I was absolutely certain that I could live and die as a prince, and a prince in peacetime too."

"And what are you? Who are you, Zuko?" Sokka started.

"I'm a scared little boy with a very heavy crown on my head. And I am all alone."

"I'm here."

"Yes, you are Sokka, but when you are in charge of something this big, I could be in a crowd of a million, a thousand million and be alone. .So terribly, terribly alone. The world may not be on fire but it's still smoldering. Embers are flying all over the place and something might catch."

"When did you get so poetical?" Sokka chuckled.

"No, Sokka, I'm serious."

"And so am I. You are the richest person on Earth."

"So wh-"

"You need to relax and enjoy everything this has to offer."

"And what's that?"

"Any girl you want. Any _thing_ you want," Sokka was trying to convince him of the lofty benefits of his office.

"I don't want anything."

"Well you've already said you want someone. Well after you work through your emotions about Mai." Sokka remembered.

"Would you believe me if I said that I feel better about it?"

"Yes, I would."

"Really?" The Fire Lord was astounded.

"Somehow I think our fates are written out in the stars. I mean I know that we control our destinies, but we are star-crossed and star-blessed, as it were. Man is born unto trouble, we were born unto something worse. I know that Yue fixed my heart about a lot of things, took the of the pain away. I wouldn't be surprised if Mai is looking down right now preparing your heart for what's next." Sokka said, wondering where the words were coming from.

"And Mai might be some sort of star hovering up there pulling strings?"

"Not pulling strings, cutting them, cutting the emotional baggage. Making room for something new. I don't know."

"Something new. I have to create something new. We have to create something new, and not something small either. A new world order is at hand and if we don't get this right… War is easy. There's an objective, there's a goal and a mission."

"You Fire people don't quit, do you?"

"What?"

Realizing how bad that sounded, Sokka walked it back, "What I meant was that you're all so focused on work and missions and goals that you don't relax. Somehow, you haven't run yourselves ragged."

"We've probably forgotten how to relax. I mean, when my grandfather outlawed dancing in 1861-"

"WHAT? He _outlawed dancing?_ " Sokka was flabbergasted.

"He said, 'We must not be distracted in our plan to civilizing the East.' So he outlawed dancing, gambling and he tried to prohibit alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis but let's just say that too many nobles' wealth are predicated on the drug trade."

"But prostitution, cocaine, heroin, and all the other opiates are still legal."

"Well, who wants to take away their own fun?" Zuko asked laughing. His mood was being lifted.

"And what do you do for fun Zuko? What do you do to escape?" Sokka was glad to have brought up his mood.

"After I read about cactus juice when I traveled the world I had some delivered here."

"You had cactus juice here and you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't know that you partook." Zuko said.

* * *

"You're drunk, Sokka." Zuko was feeling quite intoxicated. His words were slurred, All his problems melted, faded away with the cactus juice. It always went down warm when he drank it.

"Yes, I believe I am. And by the looks of it, you are too," Sokka said, "See what I mean? Relaxing is good."

"Did you do this in the Water Tribe?" Zuko sat back down because the room didn't seem to stay still.

"DO what?"

"I asked the question first." Zuko replied confused, but not upset by it.

"No we don't" Sokka answered the original question.

"Don't do what?"

"You asked the question first."

They burst into laughter. Not even the author of the words could find anything funny about it.

Zuko continued, "Yeah but this is like weird. Never did I think I'd be drunk, like fucking plastered with the prince of the Southern Water Tribe in my palace.

"I never thought I'd be drunk with the Fire Lord but here we are." He swiftly changed subject. "Zuko why is thing, this robe thing. Why the hell is this thing so damn short. It's like coming up above my knees."

"Well it's for a lady. In fact, it's, what do they call it? Intimate apparel."

"What you mean I'm wearing like lingerie, bro? You weren't gonna tell me?"

"Nope, it made me fucking laugh too much." Zuko started laughing harder and louder than he ever dreamed of sober.

"What's so funny, Mister?" Sokka asked, "You saying I can't be sexy? I mean look at me. I am all muscles and whatnot. And besides I like how this thing feels, very silky and roomy where it counts. Don't you think."

"Don't ask me questions like that, you might not like the answer you get." Zuko's drunkenness revealed more than he would have hoped, but he knew Sokka could not have had a clue.

"Haha, Zuko, if you ever give up the throne, you could be a comedian. And besides at least someone like how I look. Someone was peeping on me last night.

"What? You're crazy." Zuko got very nervous. Drunk and nervous, not a good combo.

"No, I'm not. I left the door open by mistake and noticed that some of the light that was coming from the hallway was blocked. Then it's like she bolted off."

"It mighta been a spirit or something."

"No, she was breathing too hard." Sokka had his answers ready. "You know what? I know who it was."

"What? How?"

"You know how you said you believe in like spirits like doing stuff for us?" Sokka asked.

"No, you said that."

"I bet that dream I had was about the peeper."

"Dream. what dream, bro?" Zuko asked. Taking another shot of juice.

"No stupid, not 'what dream', 'wet dream'." Sokka corrected.

"Thank you Mister Water Tribe Man for your honesty. I didn't think that I'd ever learn those sorts of things about you. "

"You should just ask."

"You wouldn't talk like this if you weren't drunk."

I think I'm gonna end up with one of your handmaids. Cause in the dream I had the hand that grabbed my dick was-"

"Wait, what?" Zuko was seriously lost now. "Dick grabbing, Sokka? You need to wash your hands, my friend. You might even need one of those alcohol sanitizer deals. Dick grabbing, pussy grabbing, you dirty, dirty..." Zuko couldn't find a word. It was not as if he was looking for a polite word for it, whatever he was feeling. It was like a vague sort of arousal.

"Shhh, and you might learn something."

"I'm all ears professor."

"Using my detective skills,"

"No, I said you were a professor, not a detective. Keep it straight." Zuko really needed to avoid cactus juice. He was like a caricature.

"Getting you drunk makes you chatty, I see. Now shhh."

Zuko chuckled.

" know that the hand that grabbed my dick was soft and gentle like, but too soft to be like a lady of leisure. The hands were well taken care of but they worked. And I know she's a firebender too. When she was sucking-"

"You're a perv" Zuko joked. "Ogling Fire Nation women like that what would your sister say?"

"And you're a prude." Sokka jabbed back, " And I think Why are you so fascinated with sex?" He liked flipping the issue on Zuko.

"If only you knew. I don't even know and wait a second. I'm like seventeen last time I checked. I think I am supposed to be fascinated with sex, and getting it as often as possible. And don't you turn this around on me. You're the one talking about handjobs and blowjobs like its nothing." Zuko just realized that he made up some words.

"What the fuck is a 'handjob' and a 'blowjob'?"

"Words I just came up with." Zuko scratched his head in consternation.

"And you're in the business of creating words now?"

"Yes, Zuko's Word Emporium, selling blowjobs and handjobs to the highest bidder."

"That already exists Zuko it's called a brothel. Well minus the bidding part"

"No, it's a… it's a, um, a 'house of assignation."

"Anyway, I think she's gonna reveal herself real soon." Sokka said.

"You make it sound as if it's so close you could touch 'em." Zuko remarked. "You're over Suki, huh?"

"Suki who?" Sokka burst into ridiculous laughter.

"Good," Zuko added.

"And I'll know her when I see her."

"How?"

"She was wearing something very special in the dream."

"What? Nothing?"

"I'm not gonna tell you and have you jinx it. Knowing you, you'd probably change the uniforms to screw with me."

They both laughed, though Zuko's was fake. He was barely able to hold back his emotions.

* * *

He left Sokka's room, shortly after. He managed to keep a straight face as he left and shut the door behind hi. He kept that stoic expression as he made the trek to his wing. Zuko got back to his room, shortly after, his nerve still holding. He shut the door behind him. He ran to his bed and collapsed on it. He started bawling hysterically into a pillow. He felt a sense of doom. He felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest.

Zuko had felt that he had a chance. It was the longest of longshots, but Sokka seemed to have his heart set on a maid. A fucking maid.

He started to feel a bit of regret a bit of foolishness. He started second guessing everything, everything that he thought about himself. Everything he thought about his chances. He thought and thought some more.

 _How was I even going to … I mean it's not like he would, or could… I just want him. I don't want some stupid chick. I want him. I want him so badly. I'm falling so deep into lust or love, I don't even know._

At some point, he fell asleep, staining the pillow with salty, bitter tears.


	9. Anxiety

Monday, September 17th, 1900, 8:11 AM

"Oh, my head." Sokka woke up with… with a- " _What the Hell,"_ Sokka thought, " _Zuko'll come up with a new word for it."_

His head was throbbing, but, at the very least, he remembered what the Hell had gone on the night before. He felt this headache would hang over his head for the whole day. He looked down. He was still wearing the so-called lady's robe. He didn't care, it was comfortable, and there were a bunch of them in the closet so, he was going to wear it. He noticed last night that Zuko was acting weird. He didn't know how to describe it, not bad, just different. Even before they got plastered, Zuko had let go of that Fire Nation reticence and was more open with his feelings. Sokka was glad that Zuko was opening up, in earnest.

There was a certain vulnerability in him that Sokka felt like protecting in a way that was more than friendship. He couldn't, as of yet, ascertain what it was. He couldn't think up a word for it. Again, that was Zuko's specialty.

He started wondering what Zuko was like as a little boy, before he was traumatized. Sokka remembered hearing the story and pitying him. What happened to Zuko is sort of like what happened to the whole Nation. Someone he loved, someone who was supposed to adore him, burned him. The terrible part was that Zuko blamed himself and and wanted to redeem himself for a crime he had not committed. All the FIre Lords before Zuko had done the same to their nation. They burned their own people by making them fight this war and shamed them if ever they failed.

A century of psychology was going to be quite a challenge to undo, but Sokka felt that he would be integral in that relaxation of nerves. That was the problem, it seemed, the whole Nation was on edge. Afraid as ever that they were going to be punished for failure, the same way their New Fire Lord had been. Supposedly, the element of a particular country determined the general disposition of the citizens. The Water Tribe were supposed to be relaxed, adaptable, and 'go-with-the-flow'. The Earth Kingdom was supposed to be resilient, unyielding, reserved, and steady. The Air Nomads were supposed to be free and enthusiastic.

Who knew what the Fire Nation was supposed to be? Maybe a century ago they had a purpose and drive that wasn't solely consumption and imperialism. Fire wasn't always destructive. Sokka knew that his people couldn't live without fire. People couldn't see at night without it. He knew that electricity was the purest expression of it, in the same way that metal was the purest expression of earth.

" _Damn, he's rubbing off on me."_ Sokka thought. He didn't like getting so philosophical. It made him feel too much like an adult.

Yes, indeed, Sokka had not been having the best time since his eighteenth. This is what he knew: He was now eligible for the Chiefdom. He was expected to take a wife soon (in fact he was quite late, he was supposed to be on kid two by now). He was alone and felt like his last chance went home back to Kyoshi Island probably with a deep hate for him and all men. Forever alone, that was the mantra, forever alone. Seriously the highlight of his time here has been eating ice cream, getting drunk on cactus juice, and wearing ladies' clothes. Oh, and he read some Fire Nation Literature.

It was pretty pathetic.

He got dressed knowing that this headache could not stop his duties. This day was going to be strange. Mai's family was having a funeral and according to custom Zuko was _not_ going to be in attendance. Sokka felt that it would be another emotional day for Zuko. Something else was gnawing at him. It was a vague dread, the likes of which he had not felt since the Invasion. He wanted some cactus juice or some pussy to make him feel better. It was too early for the former and the latter seemed to be too hard to obtain. Besides the fact that Sokka was in no way interested by the ladies of the evening round him. He was betting on finding that lover sooner rather than later because the pressure, the frustration that only a teenage boy can understand was getting to be too much.

Sokka would never admit it, but Zuko's visit last night was not helpful. He was only mere seconds away from a self-love session. It was awkward for him when he had to wipe the lube off his hands and find something to wear so quickly. Just before he had opened the door he rushed back to the other side of the bed and hide the jar. He would not have faulted Zuko for asking why he had jar of coconut oil on the nightstand. Katara swore by it for her face. Sokka, feeling how it melted in his hands was quite sure that it would have felt great for stroking. And it was edible too.

Well he did not find out last night and he had a sinking feeling that he was not going to be the one touching himself tonight either.

He put on the red vestments. He wore the fancier one today, noting that it was this would be the first full business week of Zuko's reign. The children were back in school. The banks were open for business and the stock exchange would start trading at nine. There was something serious and official about it. There had been a coronation and now there would be an inauguration of Zuko's entire way of governing. Everything Zuko would do was real and tangible now. Sokka realized right then that Zuko was right, he was alone. Zuko was alone wearing a crown and holding a heavy sceptre.

" _No matter how close I get… Hell, even beneath him… and he'll still be the only one with the power."_ Sokka thought hard, like an adult. Maybe adulthood was not as good as he always thought. Regardless, he could not go back.

Sokka left his room and made his way to breakfast in a large dining room. He, of course, came from the same wing where Zuko's room was located. Sokka walked down a grand white marble steps overlaid with red carpet. There was a landing after about six steps where Sokka had to turn right and go down another dozen steps. As he continued down the steps as they widened into the great hall in front of him. When he got down to the bottom he turned around and looked up the stairs. Only then did he notice that there was a great big window on the eastern wall. It was perfectly round, and the glass was painted in such a way that it resembled bricks, in the classic interlocking. It reminded Sokka of how the bricks of an igloo stood atop each other.

The food was laid out buffet style and Sokka found himself surrounded by nobles, Sages, politicians, businessmen, and judges. Zuko had told him that every Monday morning, Sokka would have to contain his contempt for the snobbery that all palaces exude. Every week, at the Fire Lord's pleasure, all of the people who wielded power in the country reported to him to pay respects and receive royal assent or patents. When it came to granting patents, and allowing the manufacture and trade of inventions, Fire Lord usually had three choices. The first two were similar. Zuko could either grant the patent and allow the patent holder the full right to make and sell. Or, he could grant the patent and take a stake or complete ownership of the technology (with fair compensation of course). The third, of course, was the ability to deny the whole thing and prohibit its sale in the islands.

The judges were there sometimes to bring up cases that had run completely the circuit and needed to be settled. Zuko could either pass them to the Star Chamber, the Sages, or handle the case by himself.

Sokka realized how much Zuko did. " _No wonder all of his predecessors were on all those drugs."_

They served Sokka some of the foods he had gotten used to over the summer. There was something special about Fire Nation food. It was zestier and more flavorful than Earth Kingdom food, and far out-flavored Southern Water Tribe food, even at breakfast time. His love of meat was definitely satisfied by the Fire Nation. He wanted to go back in time and congratulate whoever came up with bacon. Sokka was not going to admit it but it was true.

Sokka sat alone at one of the tables closest to the stairs.

Hashi approached him from behind, "Master Sokka,"

Sokka turned around, "Zu-. Oh, I'm sorry, you sound so much like Zuko. What can I do for you?"

"No apologies necessary, Sir. It's only that we would want You to sit right next to His Majesty, only because You are his chief advisor. He trusts You more than He trust any of Us Sages."

Sokka looked around and saw that indeed there was a very sumptuous chair, almost a throne at the table nearest him.

"Thank you," Sokka said, picking up his fine china plate and moving to the seat just to the right of the throne.

He had not even been seated for two minutes when all of the people around him got up suddenly. He was mid-bite into a sweet pastry when he noticed the reverent bow that everyone was giving. He stood up and turned around expecting to see Zuko in grand red robe.

Sokka swallowed, and choked for a brief moment. Zuko, instead, was wearing a long black hood, that almost touched the floor. The light was shining down through the window making almost a halo of bright light surrounding him, as his robe defied it in stark, dark austerity. His face was partially obscured and his whole body was covered in the fabric. Only the hand was visible under the black of the cloth, the skin was white and delicate and was very stark and was in its contrast was very attractive. It was the same hood and the same hand from the dream.

Sokka only saw that the hand was Zuko's, the robe was Zuko's. His heart began palpitating. Something felt off. All of a sudden he could not catch his breath. It was like someone had punched him square in the heart. He started hyperventilating. He looked down at his hands as they tembled. He heard the thud of his heartbeat in his ear. It was drowning out the silence in the most unpleasant way imaginable. The room was spinning too no matter how he tried to still and steel himself.

Hashi grabbed him, "Are you alright Master Sokka?"

Sokka looked at Hashi, his eyes wide with fright and anxiety, not able to understand him. Sokka's body tensed and then relaxed, as for the first time in his life, he fainted. Hashi was strong enough to hold Sokka's limp body up.

Hashi cried out, "Somebody get a doctor!"

* * *

Zuko looked up when he heard someone shout, "Somebody, get a doctor!"

He looked down the steps and saw Hashi holding up Sokka. In an almost cartoonish way Zuko did not understand the image in front of him and only squinted in confusion. Then, when it finally clicked, his eyes and mouth opened in complete shock. He rushed down the stairs. Several physicians ran up and tried to revive him right then. He was still breathing irregularly.

"Get him up to his room." Sokka commanded.

* * *

12:31

Sokka regained consciousness. He didn't know what had happened to him, but he remembered seeing Zuko in the damn robe. He didn't open his eyes immediately, feeling a strange sort of exhaustion. He heard someone pacing back and forth, he knew it was Zuko. It was the same rhythm that Zuko always paced, the same speed. His feet always created the same nervous tempo on the floors. Sokka realized then that he had memorized it, the sound of Zuko's feet landing on the floors of this good-forsaken Palace.

"They said that you can't hear me until you wake up," Zuko started talking, Sokka realized that it was just the two of them in the room and the must have been closed. The way his voice echoed in the room and the lack of any noise from the outside suggested that to him. For the first time, Sokka came closer to understanding Toph's 'view' (if that was an appropriate word). Sokka still actually felt too tired to open his eyes or speak, so he listened,

"I'm sorry, I've got you so stressed. I mean you having an anxiety attack. I knew I shouldn't have asked you to stay here. I mean it was selfish. I wasn't supposed to bring you into this. I'm so sorry. I just. The only pleasant thing about being Fire Lord is having you here with me, giving me comfort. I mean you're the only real friend I ever had and… Look, I know you'll never feel the same way I do, but I like you. More than just a friend. And I realized that I only kept you here cause I wanted to see you. I couldn't bear to see you leave. I- I-" Zuko started stuttering.

"I love you." Zuko felt like a weight had been lifted, "I know I shouldn't and I know it's wrong but I am deeply embarrassingly, frustratingly, completely in love with you. I think about you every second everyday when I wake up I think about wanting to see you. And I hate every time I have to leave you." Sokka felt that Zuko had sat on the edge of the bed. He felt a pair of eyes burning holes into him. Staying still, he kept his breathing steady.

Sokka felt a pair pair of warm lips on his only for a moment and then felt the relative coldness as they parted. Sokka loved how they felt on his lips. They felt natural and right, full but not completely crushing. And he loved how warm Zuko felt. There really was something about firebenders. Sokka had to fight every urge not to lean into the kiss. It was so passionate and warm, an act of love more than what he called lust.

"And I know I can't have you, so I'll only watch you from a distance and hope against hope that you'll, you'll love me too or at the very least let me admire you."

Sokka kept his eyes closed, too frightened to face Zuko and way too petrified to acknowledge the fact that… He wasn't in love with Zuko. That much was certain. Or was it? Sokka's mind started to race. Sokka was alone. Much the same way Zuko was. Sokka admitted to himself that he had started to feel attracted to Zuko in the last few weeks. He kind of suppressed it. It was an unnatural feeling. He wasn't supposed to have thought about another man like that. Every time he got an image he dismissed it, especially that one with Zuko in the shower. There was something exotic about the shower, it was the most advanced thing Sokka had seen and… and-

Sokka had thought that they were wild images that popped up. He would keep blinking, breathing and willing the erection to go away. He kept the thoughts at bay. He simply put them to one side and ascribed it to pent up sexual frustration. Of course, Suki was domineering, so Sokka never got any release.

It was no more than his body trying to take care of a need or so he thought. He was now quite confused about how he had been feeling. How much had he been suppressing and for how long. Was he always this way or did he catch a bug from Zuko?

No, it cannot have been contagious. Sokka felt it when Zuko landed at the South Pole. He felt the same tingling, the same urge, but he thought it was merely a lust to fight and protect his people. It was obviously a lust for something else, something less altruistic and more carnal.

What he could not reconcile was the fact that he had been attracted to women in the past. Yue and Suki made him feel the same way, he thought. At, least they got him partway there. There was something wonderfully unencumbered about Zuko. He wasn't bogged down with pretension or pomposity. His income was something like 63,000,000 gold pieces every year, but he was like any other person Sokka knew. There was something about Zuko, something that he liked, that he loved.

* * *

3:13

Sokka had gone back to sleep and woke up again, this time he felt almost rested.

He was still scared because he knew he had to play it straight, you know, play it cool.

"Ugh, what happened?" Sokka started his acting. He sat up and rubbed his eyes before he opened them. He didn't know how long it was going to last, but he had the feeling that lying to Zuko would wear on him sooner rather than later.

"Sokka, you're awake!" Zuko's voice was a giddy expression of relief.

"I passed out, didn't I?" Sokka asked. He was trying not to make eye contact with Zuko. Something about those golden eyes. He couldn't lie to them if he looked into them. Not even if he tried

"Yes, the physicians said that you had an anxiety attack, but that after some rest, you'd feel better. Do you?"

"Yes," Sokka lied, "I feel a lot better." Physically he was recovered from the anxiety attack but he was more anxious than ever. These feeling, old or new, suppressed or expressed were now swirling around his head. Sokka didn't know what he was going to do with himself. All he knew was that if he didn't find a way to release all of these feelings of frustration and shame, he would end up in an asylum like Azula. He sure as hell wasn't going to go crazy.

"Good, I- um" Zuko was nervous, "There were a couple of things that had to be put off till tomorrow."

"Sorry," Sokka truly was, "You should have gone on without me."

"No!" Zuko shouted louder than he thought he might, "I need y-. I mean I wasn't going to proceed without my advisor, My Chief Advisor."

"At least I didn't break anything."

"If you did, I'd've called Katara right back to heal you again. Hashi caught you. "

"So you didn't call them back?" Sokka asked.

"Should I have done?"

"No, I'm glad you didn't. I don't need Katara wanting to kill you... again."

"Good," Zuko said, "Well are you hungry?"

Sokka nodded in the affirmative, "How about some ice cream?"

"I think I can arrange that." Zuko said happy that his friend was back.


	10. Falling

This one is a long one... Things are getting set up :)

* * *

Tuesday, September 18, 1900, 11:01

"...My Lord, instant communication is now possible. You can speak to someone and with this device they can answer you back immediately." The man who was presenting this strange contraption was obviously nervous. After all, he was standing in front of his sovereign. Zuko was actually quite interested in the device. He was supposed to have seen it yesterday, but he was not going to begrudge Sokka an anxiety attack. He looked down to his right and saw that Sokka was staring intently at the device. That steely look of focus that Sokka made something in him stir.

"So you're telling me that even a mile, five, ten, a hundred miles away I can speak to someone?" Zuko asked.

"Yes," the inventor said, "As far as you want, Sir. As far as you want and it will be a s clear as a bell."

"Even, Ba Sing Se?" Zuko asked.

"It would be quite a project to put up the wires, but yes even Ba Sing Se, Your Majesty."

"I'd better add that to the list of things I have to speak with the Earth King about." Zuko asked.

"Perhaps, my Lord. I have set up a demonstration. This apparatus is attached to another one three hundred yards away, five rooms down and around two corners."

Sokka's eyes lit up. "I have to see this work." The thought of technology distracted him. It sounded to good to be true. Talking to Zuko with electricity. Nah! It couldn't be done. He got up and started walking towards the inventor.

"I'll use this to talk to you." Sokka said looking at Zuko.

"Good idea."

"I'll go to the other end of this thing." Sokka said.

An assistant popped out of thin air, "Master Sokka this way."

Zuko watched him walk out in an almost clandestine way., knowing that he was stealing a peek. He did like the way Sokka's muscles showed though the robes. He loved how Sokka walked with the utmost confidence mixed with a bit excitement mixed in.

He snapped out of it when the device was brought to him. He stepped down from his throne and walked to the small table they placed it on. He examined it.

It looked like a candlestick, except it was made out of iron. At the bottom of the base of it there was a small hole through which an insulated wire was connected to the system. At the front of the base, there was a circle with all the numbers written in the inner edge. At the top of the candlestick there was a sort of funnel that looked like the bell of an oboe. Slightly lower down on the stick there was a small strip of metal, also black, that resembled a hook. Sitting in that hook there was another piece that looked like a funnel it was attached to a wire that went into the base.

"How do I use this thing?" Zuko asked.

"You speak into the receiver on the stick and you put the speaker to your ear and you will be able to speak to him. He will be the one to activate the system" The inventor said.

A moment later the device started to ring. It was unlike any sound Zuko heard before. He let it ring a couple of times, thinking of what to say. How would one converse on this thing. He picked up the stick and held the attached funnel an inch from his mouth. He put the speaker up to his ear.

Zuko felt nervous as he tried to come up with a proper word to greet Sokka.

"Hello?" Zuko finally settled with.

Sokka's response was one of amazement. "Oh my goodness, I can hear you. Can you hear me Zuko?"

"Yes," Zuko was easily amazed, "I can hear you loud and clear. Clear as a bell."

"What a time to be alive, Zuko. I can talk through walls now." Sokka sounded very proud to have used such a strange device successfully.

"Yes, we can."

"It sounds like you're in the room."

* * *

18:00

Zuko and Sokka spoke on the phones that Zuko had installed in their rooms. This was the first telephone line being put to use in the world, but somehow they were already comfortable with it, like it had been there the whole time, like they had known each other forever. They were still both excited to have it and were grateful for it. The both of them had it on their bedside tables.

Zuko dialed him. It was a direct line but Zuko liked the dialing mechanism. He could put his finger in any of the holes drag it around and Sokka would be on the other end in a second or two. Zuko had given the inventor fifteen million for the patent and ninety percent control of the technology. Zuko even named it and wanted to tell Sokka. He picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Sokka answered, still thrilled that he had a new device.

"I've come up with a name for this thing, Sokka. It's a 'telephone'"

"That's makes a lot of sense Zuko. Very smart," Sokka was genuinely impressed with his ability to come up with terms and phrases to express himself. Sokka slapped himself mentally, he didn't want to muddle anything.

"Why, thank you." Zuko hoped very much that his tone didn't give away how much pleasure he took in that statement. Bringing the phone with him, he changed position on his bed, laying flat on his belly, lifting his feet up and crossing them. "

"I'm sure that the many inventions that come before you are going to get new branding."

"I mean, come on Sokka, the 'Instant Telecommunication Apparatus' wasn't exactly catchy."

"No, it wasn't." Sokka said, feeling that he was the one running this conversation into the ground. There was a certain tension in the conversation and Sokka knew that he was responsible for it.

"I'm sure that his thing will be in the newspaper in the morning. I'm sure that when we start to set up telephone lines that crisscross these islands-"

"Wait, 'crisscross', I mean I get what that means but you can't just spring these new words on people."

"I can spring it on you."

"You know what Zuko, you're bored." Sokka didn't know where this was going, but he

"What?"

"You're bored, Zuko, that's why you're coming up with ll this new stuff. You need to get out of here."

"A vacation, no. I can't." Zuko said, though Sokka had managed to reinvigorate his attention.

"Not a vacation, just getting out of this palace."

"I can't-"

"You know what tonight, right now, we're going out," Sokka was ordering him.

"What? I can't-"

"You're not doing anything tonight. Are you?" Sokka asked determined that he was going to go out with Zuko tonight.

"I haven't any plans, but-"

"But nothing Zuko. Get out of those damn robes, put on some pants like everyone else and get out of this stuffy place."

"You can't order the Fire Lord around." Zuko tried to protest.

"You're not my Fire Lord Zuko. I am a Water Tribe citizen and heir apparent to the throne of the Southern Tribe." Sokka reasserted those pressing facts.

"I-" Zuko couldn't think of anything, "Alright." It was not as if Zuko could say no to Sokka...

* * *

18:30

Sokka was wearing one of those new collared shirts that he had seen from the Colonies. The Republicans really knew how to dress. It was white and he loved the whole button idea. The sleeves went down to wrist but he rolled the up to a couple of inches below the elbow It was pressed and ready for him. It was entirely too warm for him to wear a tie. He didn't button the two top buttons and let a bit of his chest show. He was fit enough for there to be no embarrassment. He wore a necklace, one of those shark tooth ones that he took with him when he left home, back in the winter. Now the pants, another new material that he liked.

They called it denim. It was blue and it reminded Sokka of home. It was a darker shade of blue, almost black. They were comfortable and he thought them to be quite stylish. He put on a belt. It was brown leather with a simple square buckle of gold. He wore some brown shoes too, also leather (the smooth side, he hated suede) that matched the belt. He tied the laces and readied himself.

He was still slapping himself mentally. This was so impulsive, what he was doing. He still didn't know why exactly he did it. It was true that he wanted to get out of the palace. He missed the freedom that he had during the War. Of course, he hated the War, but behind the vague, silent dread, there was a will to be free and escape. That will had not disappeared in Sokka. On the contrary, it grew stronger now that peace was achieved. He had the true freedom to move around as he pleased.

He wanted to, but he wanted Zuko to be with him.

That realization scared him the most. The more effort he put into just riding out those strange feelings he had, the deeper the grew. He was cutting off his nose to spite his face. He was stuck in a vicious cycle. Deny Zuko, like him more. Deny to ignore liking him, like him more.

Sokka knew that sooner or later he was going to be forced into a decision. His thoughts had him on a frantic race to the bottom, but what happened when he finally hit it? Rock bottom?

He wasn't there yet, so he wouldn't think about it. Putting things off was against his nature, but he felt that looking and thinking about Zuko like that was against all nature. Right? It was as wrong as wrong could be. It wasn't manly and his father taught him to be masculine, before he left. Sokka was a man. Men simply did not think about other men that way. Right?

Right. But then the irrational thought process made itself known again. He just made a poor decision in wanting to get out of this place with Zuko. But he would have been miserable if Zuko wasn't with him. Angst much? Yes. How far would Sokka fall before he hit rock bottom was hard to know.

It was just as hard for him to know as it was for him to contemplate Zuko. He simply could never think of him in an objective way. He had forgiven everything before they were on the same team months ago.

When he thought about Zuko, it was only the way he smirked when he had something clever to say, the light always glinting off his perfect teeth. It was the depression and yearning in his voice when he spoke yesterday. The gentle, earnest passion he had in his eyes when they talked about the Fire Nation. The way Zuko's skin felt on his when they touched accidentally. It was in his It was the cute little frown he's make when…

'Cute'. Yes, Sokka actually contemplated the word 'cute', when he thought of the Fire Lord. Sokka put that thought away. There was no need to go down that road. That was an evocative word. He realized that he never used that word Suki or even Yue.

Enough for now.

Sokka got his sword and boomerang and sheathed them both. He managed to keep them sheathed on his belt. Sokka walked to Zuko's chamber. He knocked, pushing those scary thoughts down and away. Zuko opened the door. He decided to dress the 'new' way too. Zuko wore a collared shirt too, only his was black and had short sleeves. He forwent the tie as well, opting to wear a necklace with a gold and red pendant on it. His jeans were very dark, in fact as Sokka looked, he saw that they were black. The jeans fit more closely to his legs than did Sokka's, though they weren't too skinny on his legs. He saw that Zuko was also wearing the canvas shoes that had they wore in the colonies to save leather. And apparently jeans became famous because of those cowboys who exemplified the western Earth Kingdom and some of the Fire Nation Colonies.

Whatever the case was, the clothes were changing and Zuko prefered the new clothes from the colonies than those old robes. They were more comfortable. He let his hair down too. He felt much freer and would have to thank Sokka somehow. Sokka really frustrated him.

Sokka was so kind to him, so selfless. Every time he had a problem, day or night, Sokka put everything aside and addressed it. Even after he passed out, all he wanted to do was go out for a walk and get some dumplings from the outside. Sokka had already said that he had his own throne and his own duties.

Zuko felt like asking him to be free, as it started to feel like he was enslaving Sokka. That would not end well if he sent Sokka away. It would destroy him. It would ruin him completely.

"You look nice." Sokka said, trying not to be awkward. Internally he was screaming. This wearing all black thing was not good for his sanity. Sokka also took note of how slight Zuko's frame was, small but not frail. Zuko was built like a dancer. He was a couple inches shorter than Sokka too. If he got on his tippy toes, they would be eye to eye, mouth to mouth.

"Thank you," Zuko looked down at the carpet, blushing hard, "You too."

They walked through the hallways, yes it was about a ten minute walk to the front doors and another five minutes to reach the Southern Gate. As they passed into one of the last hallways to get out of the place, Hashi seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

"My Lord, where-" Hashi walked beside his sovereign

"Out."

"Out where?"

"To get something to eat, to get some fresh air to be among the people, like I promised," Zuko realized how quickly he was justifying this drastic change from tradition.

"There's a safety-"

"I'm a master firebender and Sokka's a master swordsman. We're fine."

"And you're dressed like-"

"Regular people, because that's what we are." Zuko was getting impatient, his remarks were getting curt.

Sokka spoke as they continued the progress down the hall, "He's just trying to be good Sage. Thank you Hashi, but we're both adults. We'll be fine."

"Zuko's only seventeen," Hashi said before he had the opportunity to think his statement through. He grimaced when the words registered fully in his head.

Zuko stopped suddenly, not out of anger but shock "What did you just call me?"

They all stopped.

"My Lord, I'm sorry-"

"No, don't be sorry. All I want is the freedom to be called Zuko, not 'Fire Lord', not 'Your Majesty', Lord High this or Right Honourable that. I know that if I go outside, I won't be called that, but I want to be among people like that. I am going outside to see my people and to be seen. Sooner they will accept me as one of them and not just some vague deity, some distant despot to whom they pay their taxes. All of that pretense and falseness got us into the War in the first place. I am for use, not merely for show. If a citizen asks me a question, I'll answer it."

"You intrigue me, Sir."

"Good. Now, please, don't worry about me. I've had Azula after me and if I can survive that, I'll be just fine." Zuko started walking again

"Sir?"

"Don't wait up." Zuko called back.

* * *

The gas streetlamps were turning on though there was still about a half hour of sunlight left. People were having all sorts of reactions. Some people were squinting and saying, "Nah". Others went into silent hysterics, "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness." Most simply stared, shocked to see the Fire Lord dressed similarly to them. In the last few months the middle classes were embracing this new way of dress. Only the stuffy nobles were sticking with the full robes and gowns.

They were walking down the street talking when a boy about six years old bumped into him. He was playing around with his friends. Looking at the sky, Zuko thought it strange that a boy of this age would be out playing this late.

"I'm sorry, mister," the boy said looking up, "I didn't see you."

Zuko squatted to looked the boy in the eye. His mother and uncle always did it, so he did it too. "It's alright… just be more care-"

A woman came out of a house and ran up to the scene. "Li, what did I tell you-" She stammered when she saw who he had bumped into. He stood up. "Fire Lord Zuko, I… I can't express my apologies-"

"You're the Fire Lord? I thought he was older." The little boy made Zuko and Sokka both chuckle a bit.

"Li, say you're sorry to-"

"He already apologized, Miss."

"See mommy, I did."

Zuko squatted again, "Remember to listen to your mother, okay. Mom always knows best. Okay?"

The little boy nodded affirmatively.

Zuko got up again pat her gently on the shoulder. "You have a good night, miss."

Zuko started his trek with Sokka again, but the lady stood in the middle of the road staring at the two of them. She never wanted to wash that shoulder again.

They approached the main street. The promenade itself was wide as it went down towards the Marketplace Green. Again, Sokka and Zuko were being watched by a few thousand people. They did not dare to approach him. That is what Zuko wanted to change. He wanted to be able to shake people's hands and talk to them, not to be watched like an ant under a magnifying glass.

"Pick a place." Sokka said, "You know this town much better than I."

"Well, the all say Mister Fong has the best food in the whole nation."

Just before they started down the road, The Promenade, as it were, a shrill voice called out to them from behind. "Fire Lord Zuko? FIre Lord Zuko?"

A small man, shorter than Zuko. He was wearing a full Republican style suit with the bowler hat, vest, white shirt, tie, and slacks. He held a pen in one hand and a notepad in the other. Zuko turned around.

"Yes, how can I help you?"

"My name is Li Ming with the gazette. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

"No, not at all." Zuko looked over at Sokka and asked him, "You don't mind."

"No, go ahead." Sokka was glad to see the way Zuko's face lit up when someone felt comfortable enough to talk to him.

"You said last week that you want to monarchy to be different. What exactly did you mean by that?"

Zuko paused for a second before he spoke. "What I meant was that I want the monarchy to be more approachable. I think it is an unfortunate fact that the people didn't know my father, or his father or any Fire Lord before them so I take it very seriously that my people not only see me but know me as well. If I am not honest about who I am, this would all be a waste. If the people I love don't understand the love I have for them, I could not be the best Fire Lord I could be. I have been honest about everything and I will continue a government of honesty."

Sokka shuddered a little bit, but was glad that both Zuko and the reporter were to engaged to notice.

"We know that there is great upheaval in the colonies right now. We also now that you ordered our troops to stand down. Why?" Ming asked.

"It's very simple. That whole region is volatile. For reasons that only He knows, the Earth King has put an opposing force to us. Any act that can even be mistaken for aggression will be destabilizing. I told my soldiers to defend their own bases. THe Avatar's job is to maintain peace and balance, and he is there doing that. My highest priority is making absolutely certain that we don't pour any more blood or treasure into war. War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!"

Are there any efforts on the part of the FIre Nation to make contact with the Earth King to start talks. If so what has been done?"

"Yes. As of right now we have had no assurances that our diplomats can start up an embassy. On our end, I am ready to proceed with talks and ready to welcome a delegation from all nations."

"Last one."

"Sure."

"Do you intend to come out into the public often and why?

"Yes. I am going to get out of the palace because as I said, I work for the people."

"That's a very republican concept."

"Well, it's true. The last hundred years have proven that governments that do not listen start only to care about themselves. Governments are set up among us to work for the citizenry. At every stage I am going to tell you what I am doing and why. I think that it is easier to do that out in the streets than it is from some edict coming down from up high. I want people to trust me and I have to earn that trust. It's pretty hard to trust somebody you cannot see."

Zuko realized in that moment that he, they were surrounded by about a throng of fifty people. They all started clapping and cheering.

Zuko reached his hand out to shake the reporter's hand. The reporter was shocked and returned the gesture.

"Shake my hand, Fire Lord" Some of the people started shouting.

He obliged. Sokka, who looked from the back of the crowd, realized that he loved how open Zuko was. He loved the way that he greeted his people. He was so passionate yet gentle. Strong, but vulnerable.

Sokka shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts.

* * *

19:22

They sat across from each other in a booth by the window, a lit candle on the table. Zuko loved how the flame danced in Sokka's eyes. Sokka loved how the flame danced in in Zuko's eyes. Of course, neither would admit that. They were focused on the other instead of the people around them. They weren't sitting separate from the people. Needless to say that the people were absolutely delighted to see the Fire Lord, and to see that he was normal and like them.

"Sokka, you were right, as always."

"Told you you needed to go out. Your whole mood is lifted, I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much. Sure as hell didn't see the typical Fire Nation citizen smile at all."

"We were focused on war and now we have-"

"Peace?"

"Yes, Sokka. You and me and everyone. We have peace. A week ago I was laid up in bed recovering from a lightning strike. In seven days, just wow."

"I went from a cast to passing out to eating dumplings in a Fire Nation restaurant."

"You're better now, that's all that matters." Zuko replied.

Zuko smiling and excited made Sokka feel good inside. It was right to see him smiling, just as it was wrong for him to frown. Another moral question entered Sokka's head. If Sokka was able to make Zuko content and merry, and it was right to make him this way. Was it still wrong to feel this attraction to him. If Zuko was really telling the truth about how much he loved him, that meant that if Sokka reciprocated that would make him happy. Making Zuko happy is right. The piece of Sokka that wanted to make Zuko happy was getting louder, though nature and society call it wrong.

Loving Zuko was wrong, but loving Zuko was right. He put that thought to one side.

"I am better," Sokka lied. "And so are you. Just remember that tomorrow, the struggle continues."

"What struggle?" Zuko asked.

"The struggle for sanity." Sokka replied.

"I know what you mean, but this is the escape."

"Toldya."

"You did." Zuko said, "You did."


	11. Dreams and Aspirations

Chapter 11 and things are getting steamier.

* * *

 _Sokka finally had the opportunity to relax since he had been in this palace. It was time for some self loving and he wasn't going to let anyone get in the way. He sat on his bed, more like lay down and spread his muscled legs. He shut his eyes and started to use the great gift that nature had endowed all men with, fantasy. It was beyond fantasy, really. It was vivid experience, that felt, smelt, and seemed as real as anything. It was as if this all happened or will happen_

 _The fantasy wasn't about Yue or Suki, but turned to Zuko. He was unashamed of it, because Zuko had proven himself to be sexier than either of them. They, in this fantasy were in the forest together. They both were sat on the banks of a river in the Earth Kingdom. Under the canopy of the forest, with only specks of sunlight shining though, they sat legs spread, pants totally kicked off. They were just being two friends, brothers in arms jerking off together, releasing stress. Sokka had an idea._

 _"How about you take care of each other?" Sokka asked_

 _"I ain't-"_

 _"Just hands, it isn't like that. Just a bit of assistance, nothing funny."_

 _"Fine," Zuko agreed quickly, but not so quickly as to seem eager. Zuko was all for the idea but couldn't push too hard or be seen to be too passive._

 _Sokka reached over gingerly and Zuko did the same. Sokka took a tentative grasp of Z's dick. It was slightly shorter than his, but also slightly thicker. It was uncut as most of the world was and had turned a very attractive shade of rosy red. Sokka loved how warm it was in his hand as he started the stroke he usually reserved for himself._

 _Zuko did the same taking Sokka's dick in his hand. Also uncut, Zuko liked how hard I felt in his hand.. He liked how Sokka was already oozing precum and how that precum flowed like a river._

 _"Fuck," Sokka moaned, "Your hand is warm."_

 _Zuko only leaned back, mouth open in ecstasy as he felt Sokka's gifted hands stroke him._

* * *

 _"I see you started without me," Sokka heard the voice of his lover and opened his eyes._

 _Zuko was standing at the foot of the bed in his full regal robes complete with shoulder spikes, looking him in the eye. He must have entered silently, with those light footsteps and shut the door behind him._

 _"I would say so," Sokka didn't stop stroking, as he wasn't embarrassed. In fact, Zuko's gaze made him more excited. "Are you just gonna stand there and watch, or are you going to give me a helping hand."_

 _"I think that I can give you more than a hand," Zuko said, approaching the bed even closer. He started to undo the robes. The top layer of silk hit the floor, making the tent under the sheer fabric obvious. Sokka's eyes darted between Zuko's crotch and those fiery, passionate gold eyes. Then his focus moved to the sensual smirk that Zuko gave when he was ready to fuck. And tonight, this wasn't lovemaking, oh no, there was nothing soft about this. It was powerful temptation and animalistic lust._

 _"Oh yeah?" Sokka asked, "Tell me what you can do."_

 _"I'll do you one better," Zuko said removing the second and third layers of the robing, "I'll show you."_

 _"A demonstration? That does sound better." Sokka's lust becoming obvious in his voice._

 _Zuko took off the that last layer of silk. All that remained were the red boxers and the golden shoulder spikes. Zuko unfastened the shoulder spikes and they hit the floor with unceremoniously lod thuds. Fire Lord climbed into bed, but not beside Sokka, at first. Zuko got between Sokka's legs. And forsaking Sokka's cock for a while Zuko, he went up and started sucking on one of Sokka's nipples, swirling his tongue around it, as it stiffened in his mouth._

 _Zuko switched over to the other making sure the other was being stimulated with his nimble fingers. Soon, Zuko moved up and they were mouth to mouth. Zuko was on top as they started making out, grinding his still covered cock over Sokka's. Sokka's hands started wandering around Zuko's body. It was familiar by now, the rhythm feeling of fabric on skin._

 _Zuko was winning the current battle for dominance, and as tired as Sokka was, he wasn't going to battle too long. Zuko was very considerate in bed anyway, but as their tongues swirled and Sokka found Zuko's ass, Sokka felt a sort of burning in Zuko that was special. Zuko was going to do something mischievous. They pulled apart to breathe, but Zuko didn't go back in. He went down again._

 _Zuko was full of lust as he found himself crawling between his lover's hairy legs. He did something that Sokka loved. He positioned himself, his nose only an inch from Sokka's cock, his mouth only an inch from his balls. Sokka flinched in a pleasure as he felt Zuko's warm breath on his skin._

 _Zuko lightly slapped Sokka's hand away. "This is mine now."_

 _At that moment Zuko took the rod in his hand. Sokka's cock was his scepter as far as he was concerned. He started stroking Sokka with his left hand and fondling the balls with his left, cupping them appreciating their heft._

 _Sokka's head fell back and he grit he teeth. Sokka was always the first to commend Zuko on those long talented fingers he had. Not only were were the hands talented at pleasuring, but they were warm as continued petting him. No lube necessary yet, Sokka loved the friction._

 _"Fuuuuck," Sokka moaned, "So warm."_

 _Zuko was encouraged, emboldened by Sokka's helplessness. Zuko turned out to be quite the teaser in bed._

 _"What? You like this, Sokka?" Zuko started slapping Sokka's dick into his face. Zuko was absolutely delight by the clear, sticky lines of pre-cum that were left across his face. Zuko took his right hand off of Sokka's sack and, using his index finger gathered the pre-cum and sucked it off his finger. Now, using that wet finger, Zuko started collecting the precum from it's source as Sokka was leaking like a faucet._

 _"Could you stop teasing me already?" Sokka was biting his lip, he looked down and saw Zuko bowed before him, his plump rear in the air, covered in red cloth. He looked into Zuko's eyes glistening with lust. The way the light played around in them, thrilled him, and excited him anew._

 _Zuko, ever the devil, stuck out his tongue, and starting at Sokka's balls, slowly and only using the tip of his tongue licked all the way up, lapping up the precum. "Teasing? I don't know what you're talking about."_

 _"Just get to it already."_

 _Zuko sighed with fake disappointment. "Alright, fine."_

 _"Thank y-" Sokka didn't have a chance to finish before Zuko was going to town on his cock. Sokka used his hands to guide Zuko's head down. Zuko was going deeper and deeper and was using his firebending to make his mouth nice and warm for the water tribesman._

 _Zuko was bobbing up and down like the pro he was. Zuko's hand were now fondling his crotch through his underwear. There was a conspicuous dark spot now forming where his pre-cum leaked. He kept up the pace of Sokka's prick as he took off his underwear, slipping it hurriedly down his leg._

 _"Fuck, Zuko, I'm gonna-"_

* * *

Monday, October 1, 1900, 1:09 AM

Sokka shot straight up out of bed. He was wasn't a wet dream this time, but his cock was uncomfortably hard and throbbing. He was humiliated. This was the ninth night in a row where he dreamt about how sexy Zuko was to him. It was warm in the room and he was only wearing some pajama bottoms. Red silk of course.

The first three nights, he had gotten up, and hopped into the shower and turned on the coldest water he could. He would wait until the life drained out of his cock and go back to bed, not getting back to sleep at all. He was glad that the shower obscured the tears of frustration that fell down his face when he realized that Zuko was meaning more and more to him than just friend. If he called Zuko cute in his head once more he was going to scream. He wanted to make Zuko happy, make him feel 'good'. Sokka was a little slow on the uptake and in a degree of denial. He did not quite know what making him feel 'good' meant.

On nights four through six, he just sat in bed, still crying, but less as he stroked himself through the cloth. He wouldn't quite cum, but he would simply stare rather blankly at the ceiling, contemplating what these feelings meant. Ironically, he took on the quite Zukonian task of pondering his destiny. It was a lot less clear now that he was now entangled in a winding sheet of political intrigue. He was growing fonder and fonder of Zuko, but what would that affection mean? Zuko liked him, but was this feeling too dangerous? Did it threaten Zuko's place in the throne? What would all those stuffy Sages think? What were the constitutional ramifications of all of this?

What would his father think? Katara? Aang? Toph? How would they react?

The last three evening found him wanting to pick up the telephone and talk to Zuko. He didn't know about what, but he wanted to hear Zuko's voice. He wanted Zuko beside him. Maybe they could even share the same bed. Again, Sokka was glossing over (ever so lightly) the reason he would want to share a bed with Zuko. It wasn't just sex, truly. Sokka wanted intimacy with him. It made him feel right to have Zuko with him. Zuko may not have been his prince, but Zuko was starting to command his heart and his thoughts.

Let's not kid ourselves though. Sokka, as any eighteen year old boy would be, was still quite interested in sex. He was horny all the time especially with all the sheer fabrics these aristocrat types (and now he) wore. He wanted to get personally acquainted with every square inch of Zuko's body, every groove and dimple, every orifice. He wanted to see if those things he had read about firebenders were true, where their mouths really warmer? Did they really exhale smoke when they were in ecstasy? Could they really breathe fire when they orgasmed? Where they really completely smooth and hairless down there? Freely now, he came to the thought of Zuko giving him… what did Zuko call it?... uh, right, a blowjob. He would rub away and thick lines of cum would cover his chest. He would get himself semi-hard thinking of Zuko lapping it up. His cock would come back to full length, girth, and rigidity thinking about Zuko's body glistening with oil and sweat. His fascination was with Zuko's muscles now. The Fire Lord was lean and Sokka found himself wanting to lick every single inch of Zuko. He wanted to taste him, to feel his heat.

Sokka was in the throes of a powerful emotion. He couldn't suppress it and he damn sure wasn't going to anymore. He had denied this for too long. It started when the Prince invaded the tribe in that hot uniform with the shoulder spikes. It smoldered as they played cat and mouse while travelling the world. The embers got hotter as Zuko came over to the good side and was with him constantly. Now it was a full golden blaze, just like the color of Zuko's eyes.

Yea, Sokka had finally come to the realization that he wanted Zuko. He wanted him in every way. He wanted his heart, his mind, his body, his soul. He wanted Zuko.

And he wanted Zuko BAD.

The very thought of Zuko made him…

Sokka struggled for a word… The very thought of Zuko made him…

Gay. Not simply happy, or content, or gleeful, or delighted but gay.

Now here was the tricky part for Sokka. How was he going to tell Zuko. Should he wait? Should he try to do it slowly? Should he pick up that telephone right now and confess? As Sokka pondered there was a similar perturbation (and masturbation) happening down the hallway.

If only Zuko knew...

First, that Sokka had finally come to terms with the fact that there was a burning attraction towards him that were reciprocated.

Second, that he and Sokka were having the same dream at the same time each night.

Third, that Sokka was now plotting to see him naked and get them naked together.

* * *

Zuko had been less ashamed of his feelings, though over the last few weeks, was losing hope. It seemed to become more and more possible for his love to go unrequited. One of his ancestors had lived and died a virgin (or so she said). When she died in 1603, his family had come into the line of succession. If he were to do the same, there was no telling who would succeed him, or verily, if the institution would continue to exist.

The two loves of his life were impossible as far as he knew. Mai was dead and Sokka was a heterosexual. He was depressed by those facts.

He knew for his sake that he should not have felt that way. And, if he could not help feeling it, he could not let it show. He would be reticent and reserved in all things.

No.

He could not do that either. That kind of silent, emotional retardation caused the war. It caused the imperialism that defined the last century. It was without a word that the attitudes and policies that allowed for the attempted takeover of the world and scarred to nation's reputation crept into the minds of his people. These people, His people were known for their great industry and resolve, but they were also known for their accepting, fun-loving, dancy, with a sense of knowing when to enjoy life.

Those latter characteristics were wiped out by a century of dutiful service in pursuit of something unattainable, and unwittingly (to the people) evil and wrong.

Zuko was readying himself to love Sokka and for that love to be one-sided.

If only he knew.

Sometimes, he wished that he could just pick up the telephone and confess his love for the Water Tribe boy. Zuko would give up the Nation, give up his crown, scepter, and dignity (of title) if it meant he could be with Sokka.

Whatever the case was, he knew that something big was going to happen between them, He and Sokka. He didn't know what it was, but he was approaching the change with dread and anticipation. Something was telling him that it was going to be good. Any time now, he expected the Water Tribesman to bust through the door and ravage him.

Maybe one day it would happen. Weeks ago, Sokka had said that Zuko's soulmate was much closer than he could have imagined. Sokka had not meant to, but he gave Zuko a growing feeling that his soul mate was so close that he could touch him or talk to him on the telephone.

It was one in the morning, and he was not going to disturb Sokka's sleep. He was certain that Sokka was asleep, probably dreaming about something as far away from his place as he could.

Zuko was certain that he was going to need to get the both of them away from the palace soon, just to take a break from all of the developments going down. He would think about that more in the morning.

"Maybe I could get us a weekend at Ember Island, just to fish, hunt, and have a barbeque." Zuko was kidding himself when the real thoughts came to the forefront, a he paced the hardwood floor. "Might seduce him too. What's Friday? The fifth? We could leave Friday afternoon come back on Sunday night. It's only seventy miles from here."

He looked back at the clock in his room.

1:44

Zuko climbed back into bed and lay on top of the sheets. He was wistful and hopeful. He had the butterflies the same way he did when he was twelve and he thought about Mai all night. It was the same attraction he had to Sokka, though being an adult now (or close, 17 for a couple more months now). He could express it more deeply. It was more than a crush. Zuko had said it before, but he was moving away from a passive hope that fate would bring them together.

Just twenty minutes ago, Zuko was content to let Sokka pass him by. But no longer. He rose out of bed and started pacing again. He was going to have Sokka and nobody in the world was going to stop him. Zuko was going to go imperializing. He wanted to be the prince of Sokka's heart, his mind, his body, his soul. He wanted Sokka.

AND HE WANTED HIM BAD.

Every bit off him, those big blue eyes, those broad muscled shoulders. Water Tribe men were supposed to be hairy… was Sokka? Did he shave down there? Was that package really as big as the rumors suggested? Could Sokka really go all night long? How far could Sokka shoot his load? How much of it was there? How did that cream look contrasted in that mocha skin of his? What did Sokka taste like? Was he a good kisser. The thoughts were carnal and Zuko knew that. Was there any more guilt about those thoughts?

Not even a little.

If only Sokka knew...

First, that Zuko was no longer just going to sit on the sidelines, but actively pursue him.

Second, that Zuko was going to use some cunning measures and seductive tricks in the pursuit of happiness. Zuko had some ideas to try and create the mood that someone like Sokka would appreciate.

Third, that Zuko's happiness would hinge upon whether or not Sokka loved him. Zuko was never one to gamble, but now Zuko was wagering everything he held dear for Sokka. In a move that reminded him of why he admired Sokka; he threw his all into this and was more focused on the goal than anything else. Destiny wasn't his care now, just pursuing the ultimate happiness. Sokka would be the keeper of his heart, the master of his liberty and Zuko would not be a Fire Lord, so much as he would be, in the most loving possible way, Sokka's slave.


	12. The Questions

Wednesday, October the 3rd, 1900, 9:00 AM

"The question has gone through all of the courts and unfortunately none of them could agree." Hashi said, sitting at his chair at the conference table, "The lower courts just sent it up higher or made a ruling that the litigants did not like. Many of the lower courts with multiple judges could not agree or threw it like a hot potato, saying that that this wasn't in their purview. Even the Supreme Court was evenly split."

"How is that even possible?" Zuko asked, "There are five justices who sit on it."

"One of them had abstained my Lord." Hashi sighed, "He said the question was too complex and for him to answer."

"He's a judge, a high judge, a justice," Zuko sighed exasperated."How _could_ he recuse himself?"

"I wish I had an answer Your Majesty, but there is none." Hashi responded feeling the same vague dread at this sort of question. It really was a mind fuck.

"I won't send this to the Star Chamber, they would just send it back to me, and they're still busy concerning my _sister._ " Zuko spat out that last word. "Most of them would become _diplomatically_ _ill_ " Zuko scoffed, "So, leave it up to me."

"It made it up the circuit really, really quickly. You said this was filed on the 17th of September, and it's already at the top. I can't believe it. It's amazing." Sokka commented. He was feeling conflicted by this particular thing. It was strange indeed. He couldn't believe that in 1900, they'd have to answer a question such as this. The thought had never entered into his head as a possibility. The twentieth century was starting in a couple of months, and new ideas were coming with it. Now, about the question itself, he was sympathetic to it, really sympathetic, but this question would shatter everything he was taught. The fundamental things that had shaped him were being changed. The old way was right, but this new way was not wrong. The old way was good, but this new way was not evil. At least that is how he felt. It wasn't his decision to make. It was Zuko's.

It was even more proof to him that the world would become more complicated and bewildering in peace. It already became a little louder with the ringing of telephones and brighter with the new electric light bulbs that Zuko had installed last week. It had already become quicker with the newspapers discussing events in Ba Sing Se that had happened only a day earlier. Sokka realized that soon enough he was going to have to find that peace within himself and share it with someone. He'd have to share it with Zuko, and he would love to share it with Zuko. Making that dream come true would be a process of diligence and Sokka was ready.

Hashi was surprised too, and let them know why, "I've checked with several clerks, Master Sokka, in the lower courts and the Supreme Court, and the constitution has never been challenged this way. Unfortunately, both options seem constitutional, and the question is which one is more constitutional."

"So, you mean the question is: Which right is the more right right?" Sokka confused himself slightly, but knew that the question was just that complex.

"Yes," Zuko cut in, "And now it's my first Lap Case."

"Lap Case?" Sokka asked, still a little foggy on the unwritten, almost always unspoken, yet complex set of rules that ran the Nation. The Southern Water Tribe had written out and described on paper how the Government was to work and function. All things were enumerated and neatly categorized in what they called the 'Great Paper' in the Southern Water unwritten charter in the Fire Nation was a bit of stretch for him, it was too ambiguous. It left too much to the imagination and it was too conducive to crises.

"Yes," Zuko started, "Anything that cannot be settled in lower civil and criminal courts ends up in the Fire Lord's Lap, usually in the form of a yes-no question or questions."

"I see." Sokka understood completely.

"Most Fire Lords get a couple of years, at least, before an unanswerable question hits them. I got… what? Three weeks?"

"You're historic." Sokka answered, "Everything has been so different and will be different. You're going to be a unique Fire Lord, and you're the perfect person for these new and exciting times we're in now." Sokka looked down and blushed ever so slightly, feeling embarrassed that he was gushing over Zuko that way. He meant every word, but it all came out so corny.

"Don't remind me," Zuko joked, noticing Sokka's reaction and wondering what it meant.

"Read the question again, please." Zuko said to distract himself from his now shared embarrassment.

Hashi read it aloud, again, "Having served our country bravely during the War in the Ninth Division Fire Nation Army, and wanting to pursue happiness as guaranteed as our right by the Fire Lord., we soldiers who have fallen in love wish to marry. We ask His Majesty this: is it lawful for two members of the same sex to be married in the Fire Nation? If it is, is the marriage complete with the same status, dignities, and rights secured by spouses in a marriage between a man and a woman?"

"That's really two very distinct questions," Zuko pointed out, "Can two people of the same sex be married and is that marriage equal in every way."

"Of course, the most important question is the first," Hashi pointed out," because if the first answer is no, than the second question is rendered void."

"I have to think about it." Zuko said. "This is a tricky one." Zuko could not be seen to support it too easily, as it might compromise him, but he was going to have this law changed anyway, just in case. You know, one day, the unlikely happened.

"Why? My Lord, why?" Zuko looked up and over, and saw the same Sage who had insulted Sokka was talking again.

Zuko felt his blood pressure rising, but tried to remain calm. "What?"

"Marriage is sacred," he said quickly.

"So sacred that my great-great-great-great-great grandfather did it six times and killed two of his wives and divorced two more. I don't know if it has ever been sacred in this nation, at least not since 1547. And as many mistresses as my grandfather had and the fact that my father ordered the death of my mother says that I cannot come close to saying that this family respected the sanctity of marriage as it now stands."

"Yes, Sire, but I mean, your Majesty, there's also the fact that they're ill. They have a mental defect, that I am sure can be cured" The old man said, "Surely you're not even going to give this filthy notion another thought."

Zuko's hair bristled at the accusation and the crude language. He took it quite personally, but he had a response that was measured. "If they were so mentally defective, as you say, how did they pass the rigorous psychological tests to serve in the armed forces in the first place?"

"I… all I meant a that-"

"Exactly," Zuko said with authority, cutting him off. "There is no mental defect in them. If they were deemed well enough to serve, that means that they are not only sane, but of 'mind in the most excellent and prime condition to take forward the work of civilization.' If we trusted them enough to do that, will you still call them insane?! Will you still presume to treat them with anything less than the utmost respect?! If you presume that far, you may be relieved of your so-called service." Zuko's words came out with a swift, venomous tone that made everyone in the room, including Sokka, remember that Zuko, and _only_ Zuko was, without any doubt, the most powerful man on the planet. Sokka was absolutely bedazzled at Zuko's fierceness. It was alluring and attractive.

"Milord, I-"

"I thought so. For as long as any of us can remember men and women have served this country with honor and bravery, and without complaint, overworked and underpaid, fighting on the wrong side of a costly and unjust war. You _will not_ malign any of _my_ soldiers, so long as I am sat on this throne. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, my Lord." The old man replied bitterly, seeming to gnash his teeth. He didn't take getting told off by someone so much younger than him well.

Hashi and Sokka both took mental note of it. Neither of the liked his particularly strong reaction.

Zuko got up suddenly, taking a deep breath. He was royally pissed off, literally, and he needed to let off some steam. The Sages, surprised got up and bowed as quickly as they could, though their monarch was already halfway out of the room.

"I have to think about it." He exhaled, rushing out of the room, talking to no one "What an awful old man."

The Sage who had just been excoriated shuddered and gasped at the insult.

Sokka, once he realized what was going on in full, looked at Hashi, eyes questioning, and at some of the other Sages. Their eyes were just as wide with surprise. Sokka got up and gave chase, this time not hobbling around, as he was last month. He followed the flowing, red robe in front that was a few hundred feet in front of him. Damn Zuko was a quick walker.

"Zuko!" Sokka shouted

No response.

"WAIT!" He shouted louder, sounding more desperate than he would have liked. "I SAID, WAIT DAMMIT."

Zuko pushed open the doors to his room. Sokka ran in just before they had the opportunity to close.

The double doors shut behind them and now they were alone in his room, his drawing room in Zuko's apartment. Sokka wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he was sure that Zuko would let him know. Zuko was pacing back and forth, furiously, swearing under his breath,

"Zuko?" Sokka sounded more timid than he wanted to, but there was nothing that he could do about it.

"HOW DARE HE?" Zuko asked yellow-orange flames shooting out of his mouth with every breath. "WHO THE FUCK DOES HE THINK HE IS?"

"What?" Sokka was beyond confused, but not alarmed so much with the fire breathing. It was cool looking.

"First, he insults you. Then he insults my soldiers. Both of those things insult me. Who is he to speak about anyone that way?"

"Zuko, please, calm down." Sokka asked stepping closer to him, "Please." Zuko was still pacing.

Sokka started speaking, "Look, I'm upset too. I didn't like what he called me. I didn't like what he had to say about those soldiers." Sokka found it strange that he was siding with Fire Nation soldiers, but as a warrior he understood them slightly."But most of all I don't like seeing you this upset and angry. Please can you calm down? Please, for me. I can't take seeing you this angry it's not the Zuko I know."

Zuko was still pacing. Sokka stepped into Zuko's path and suddenly they were face to face. Sokka grabbed Zuko by the hands, and was thrilled by how warm they were in his. Their foreheads came together and Sokka looked deep into Zuko's eyes. Zuko was feeling dominated. "Please Zuko," Sokka was whispering reassuringly, "I don't want you to be that angry prince that I met a year ago. I want you to be that rational Fire Lord that his people love and adore."

"Okay," Zuko was completely calmed by the calm deep voice, those deep blue pools, the strong hands on him, handling him and that manly scent that Sokka had. He liked the way he had to look up into Sokka's beautiful, blue eyes. Sokka was taller than him and it was satisfying to say the least "I'll calm down, for you." Zuko said.

"Good, I like that." They felt so close right then. Their mouths were starting to drift closer and closer to one another. Sokka's hands relinquished Zuko's and started drifting towards Zuko's ass, in an attempt to bring their bodies closer together. Fuck, Zuko had such a little waist. Zuko's hands were drifting up Sokka's back, as he started to feel the muscles through the silk. Their lips were only a inch apart when there was a knock at the door. They recoiled from each other. Sokka leaned on the sofa in front of him. Zuko, still blushing,walked over to the window, opened the curtains and peeked outside, looking at absolutely nothing.

"It's Hashi." The voice called out.

"Come in." Zuko said.

The door opened and Hashi walked in. He was a bit confused by the strange scene in front of him, Zuko looking out of the window and Sokka leaned on the back of the sofa looking down at the carpet. Hashi did not know what to make of the situation. It was strange.

More on Hashi: He was young and handsome. He looked quite a bit like Zuko, but his face was squarer and he was shorter. His physique was bulkier and his muscles were big and solid, like Sokka's. He like a bit like the younger pictures of some of his ancestors, not quite like Ozai but similar. He had quite a pensive face and air about him. He shaved as much of this younger generation seemed to. His voice was deeper and slightly richer, but lacked the pointed authority that Zuko's carried. There was royal blood in him, but then again, there was royal blood in all the Sages. He carried himself carefully, proudly, but not boastfully. He wore his pensive face right now trying mightily to figure out what this scene meant. No luck.

"I've just come to apologize." Hashi said, as his sovereign turned around to look him in the eye, "I know that your people mean everything to you, and that you cannot stand to have them insulted."

"No, Hashi, I cannot, and I will not, but you aren't the one who upset me." Zuko's calmness shocked Hashi, only fifteen minutes ago the fires in adjacent room had grown hotter and burned brighter. Now Zuko was almost serene.

"Is there anything I can do?" Hashi asked.

"Do?" Zuko asked.

"Yes, my job is to advise you as to the constitution."

"Yes, Hashi, let me ask you this. Is there anything codified that makes this illegal?"

"No."

"And is there any precedence of this question being asked?" Zuko needed to know.

"No."

"And there is nothing concerning this in any of the exemplar documents?"

"No."

Sokka was following Zuko's logic closely and quietly, amazed again that the Fire Nation's laws were so flexible.

"Then what is my legal way to stop this, if I wanted to?"

"Royal Prerogative."

"And to pass it?"

"Royal Prerogative and/or signing it into law. Of course the former would only involve you answering the questions and the latter would involve me drawing up the laws to have you sign them."

"I have to think about it." Zuko said. "I will discuss it with Sokka and I will let you know the answer and write to those gentlemen." He still knew that he could not be seen to be in support of it too quickly, lest he reveal himself.

"Yes, Sir." Hashi left the room, literally bowing out. He shut the door behind him.

"I don't know, Zuko." Sokka said, "Changing the definition of marriage is big Zuko." Sokka didn't want to show his hands. He was all for it, but he didn't want Zuko to know that he was gay about him, not yet.

"But, it's a matter of fairness. They fought their War and now they want to be happy together. WE fought our War and we want to be happy with whoever we end up with, right?"

"Right." Sokka said.

"I mean it's between them who they love, right?" Zuko asked, closing the curtains and moving from near the window into the center of the room

"Right. It's no one's business." Sokka added.

"Exactly," Zuko said, "What do I care that two men love each other?"

"I know I don't, Sokka added."

"Good, I don't either."

"Yeah, it's not like there's anything wrong with it," Sokka said, finally forsaking all that he had been taught about these things 'down under'.

"Oh?" Zuko moved a bit closer to him, still a friendly distance, but not too far.

"I mean, love is love, right?"

"Yes, I think so." The Fire Lord replied. "It just happens right?"

"Right."

"I control a lot, but I can't control that."

"And you can't tell anyone who they can and can't love? Sokka asked taking another step closer.

"So what should I do?" Zuko moved closer too as they were now face to face.

"Do the right thing." Sokka said.

Just then Zuko stopped. He backed up. He wanted it badly. He wanted Sokka badly, but he wanted to wait until Friday. He wanted it to be special, whatever this was going to be. He wanted it to be someplace special. He didn't know what was going on. He didn't know what had gotten into Sokka, but the closeness was welcome. Awkwardly, Zuko walked over to his desk, trying to suppress the boner under his robes. Sokka was visibly let down by this, but not completely discouraged. While Zuko was sitting at the desk writing, Sokka leaned over him, reaffirming their closeness.

* * *

12:06 PM

Hashi read it aloud, for a third time to the chamber, "Having served our country bravely during the War in the Ninth Division Fire Nation Army, and wanting to pursue happiness as guaranteed as our right by the Fire Lord., we soldiers who have fallen in love wish to marry. We ask His Majesty this: is it lawful for two members of the same sex to be married in the Fire Nation? If it is, is the marriage complete with the same status, dignities, and rights secured by spouses in a marriage between a man and a woman?"

Zuko was seated on the throne. Sokka was sitting in the lower seat right beside him.

Zuko answer with a short sentence, the same sentence that he was going to send to those men and have enforced throughout the land. He read it out loud to the gathered Sages.  
Zuko read the nine words loudly and clearly "The answer to both of your questions is yes."

Several of the Sages had a reaction as if they had eaten something bad.

"Do you have confidence in my answer?" Zuko asked in accordance with tradition. He did not need their confidence, or their advice, but he wanted to see it. He wanted to see how they would react. All twelve said 'yes'. Some said it with confidence while others were almost inaudible. It was then that he realized his reign was born unto trouble and that he needed someone beside him. He looked down at Sokka and felt a great sense of hope.

"Sire, shall I publish the question and answer in Marketplace Green and on the South Gate?" Hashi asked.

"Yes, and put it in the newspapers this afternoon." Zuko said.

This was a gamble. He didn't know how the people would take it.

"What a Wednesday, indeed." One of the Sages who agreed with the decision said, "What a Wednesday!"


	13. Ember Island

This chapter is going to be very long ;)

* * *

Thursday October 4th, 1900, 11:00

Zuko was speaking from the same place where he had spoken on becoming Fire Lord. It was just as warm too. Fire Nation summers never ended and he was a bit hot because of the nerves he had. He wanted very badly to put down any confusion about the decision he had made the day before. He just redefined marriage and, in earnest understanding, wanted to dispel all of the concerns his people had. Their concerns were real, of course. Technically, he did not need to explain himself at all. He was, is, and until the day he dies shall be an absolute Prince, knowing no equal in the land, and submitting to no other princes (not yet to the Southern Water Tribe prince, but soon). He, being, by very far, the most powerful man on Earth was doing his people a favor, in actuality.

He did not feel that way at all, of course. Every single morning, when he rose from his bed, he did so with fear and trepidation. It was not a fear that paralyzed him or arose from fright. It was a sort of foreboding that arose from a respect of the People. He knew deep within himself as all Fire Lords did, that without the love and good will of the people, he was worth less than the dirt over which they tread. Without them, he was nothing. This Nation was fearfully and wonderfully made and it was his job to keep it alive and in good health. He had plenty of help, but the buck stops with him.

He would be nothing and mean nothing if it were not for them on his side. They seemed very much to like him, though there was no scientific polling to suggest this, though Hashi had suggested it. All he knew was this: Anecdotally, Zuko heard that the name "Zuko" had become very popular for boys being born. That was unprecedented. He also heard that in this interim before his official portrait is made and reproduced, millions of children were drawing his likeness and putting them in the classrooms where his father's likeness once hung. They seemed eager to get to know him, to fall in love with him. The knew his story, but they wanted to know him, the flesh and bones. The idea of the benevolent Fire Lord ruling as some sort of deity was over. His father proved once and for all that the Fire Lord and the institution of the Monarchy was not beyond reproach, but was real, functioning and flawed. It would need to modernize and do so quickly. 1900 made everything different and 1901, or the start of the twentieth century, would probably prove even more revolutionary.

He knew this next fact intimately as well. This decision has changed something fundamental about his country. He had to get out in front of whatever would come. He understood that many in the older generation would not understand or accept what he did, but that they would submit dutifully to their Sovereign. The young were in many ways similar, too young to accept or understand, but still loyal. It was the people in the middle, those who had the means and ends to dissent. He was not going to crush dissent, because he was not his father. He would be nothing like his father. He would speak to hem and try to get them to understand. That was all he would do. He would listen and not demean them. Any dislike of this would blow over. It would have to. He hoped it would.

He approached the microphone and the attentive audience had stood up again. These words were going to be important, so he picked them with care. It was his first essay in this long test. And he had millions of people grading him, silently. At least he had Sokka standing behind him, giving him silent, unending support. Sokka was certainly scared, himself. He hoped that the people here were more accepting than the people of the Southern Water Tribe would be. He was afraid for himself and the feelings that he had for his Zuko. (Ooh, possessive pronouns)

"Good morning." Zuko started, immediately breaking with the tradition of a Fire Lord's speech, "I come to speak to you today regarding the headlines that you no doubt saw on your evening newspapers last night and on explained in greater detail with the morning paper. I know that this news must have been surprising. Indeed, receiving the questions from this case astonished me too. The year 1900 is turning out to be a moment of drastic changes. A question has never gotten to the Fire Lord so quickly after he has taken the throne. In these unprecedented times, an unprecedented Fire Lord are being asked question that most of us never considered, let alone formulated.

"I have taken pains to come to this decision and I considered it without passion or emotion," Zuko had to lie here. There was a great amount of passion and emotion here, though it was, a of that moment, not only hidden but guarded.

"I sought only to read the law in the same neutral way that many of you do when you serve on a jury. I have also taken advice from only those whose sole purpose and aim is to aid me in the interpretation of the Constitution. Ours is a very complex one. We have not written it down, but it is learned and understood by all of us to be a living, breathing, flexible thing that acts in the service of the rights of all, rich or poor, urban or rural, noble or common, Sovereign or subject. Those principles are made and sustained by and for all of us. While It lives and breathes, It remains true to certain inalienable concepts and rights life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

"Those three fundamental pieces of our way of life are the dictates to which I must submit. The question that I answered concerned was not a question of law but one that I had to considered as a chancellor. There is no strict legal basis to this question. Marriage was not firmly defined in any law. Indeed no statute explicitly said that marriage could only be entered into by one man and one woman. Marriage was only, in the eyes of the law and constitution, a contract.

"These question concerned equity and would have been better posed to the Chancery Court as in a local Court of Equity. I know that it probably would have ended up in my lap if it went through that channel as well. I took this decision very seriously, knowing that the choice I made would have repercussions for many. I will now explain my reasoning behind it, because I promised that this government would be transparent, and transparent it shall be. This question was asked by two sane people, who both passed a test to ascertain that their minds were 'in the most excellent and prime condition to take forward the work of civilization.' These, as you know, are the words used to describe anyone who passed the Standardized Armed Forces Psychological Examination. These two men had served in this war with bravery, honor, and steadfast loyalty. They put their lives in the line every moment of every day for the last ten years of their lives. They did so without complaint and without blemish. Their discipline records are clean and both were given an honorable discharge from the Fire Nation Army.

"They are decent and respectable in every way. Instead of loving women, they love each other. This sort of homosexual attraction and love has never been considered or codified illegal. I know this, if they had even a fraction of the love I had for Lady Mai, it would be wrong to stop them from freely expressing it. I would have had no one stopping me from marrying Lady Mai and I know the depths of love that two people can have for each other. Therefore out of fairness, I cannot deny these two men, or any two consenting adults the right to marry. I also cannot say that the marriage has any different or lesser standing. Those two men, like any man and woman are now, and ought to be free to marry the person of their choice. My Government will henceforward endorse that right.

"Furthermore, that right will not be infringed and will be protected by My Government. No one shall discriminate on those grounds. The answers to these questions shall be enacted immediately. These were the only fair answers that I could reasonable reach. I commit them to you."

There was a moment of silence as the crowd thought it over. Zuko looked into their eyes, wondering, hoping that the people would accept this. He hadn't felt so scared since he looked into his father's eyes before he burned him. Another beat of silence passed before he heard someone in the audience, start clapping. Then another, and then maybe ten more people joined in. Soon enough the entire crowd was applauding some were whistling. Zuko even saw some same sex couples in the crowd making out. Zuko felt an overwhelming sense of relief. He turned to Sokka, who was nodding in approval.

* * *

7:23 PM

Sokka heard a knocking on the door to his bedchamber. It was lucky that the knocking came then and not two minutes later. Sokka was just about ready to tug his cock to the thoughts of the Fire Lord riding him. Sokka was in preparation mode when he heard the tapping. He was already semi-erect, big but pliable, rubbing through the silk robe and silk boxers. He was on the verge of becoming completely committed to getting the job done. He was at that stage where he could stop the pleasure without feeling completely let down. In that sense he was lucky

"Fuck," he muttered as he readjusted himself and made his way to the door, rapidly becoming flaccid under the clothes. He wondered who the hell would want to see him now. He, of course, would not have minded if it was his Zuko, but Zuko would have called. After a few seconds, Sokka reached the door, and gave himself a few more seconds to let the boner subside. He took a deep, sharp breath, and the last of the manifest bulge had subsided. For all he knew, it could have been his father.

He sure hoped not.

He reached out and grabbed the knob, turned it counter-clockwise and pulled the door open. He was surprised to see who it was.

"Hashi?" Sokka asked, interested but no longer surprised. "Come on in." He gestured for Hashi to come into the room. Hashi was holding a big red book under his arm and had few of those ballpoint pens that Sokka had tried. They sure beat a quill and beat fountain pens too.

Sokka caught a glimpse of the gold lettering on the front of the epically large book, a tome more like.

HIS MAJESTY'S ROYAL LEDGER it read.

Sokka was even more confused.

"I'm sorry, if I have disturbed you."

"No, you haven't. I was only reading."

"If I could just put this down somewhere." Hashi half asked, half stated.

"Sure," Sokka snapped back to reality, "Sure, that thing must weigh a ton." Sokka guided him to one of the tables in the front of the room. It was big enough for the two men to sit at, just as he had sat next to Zuko over tea, or that exotic thing Sokka enjoyed, coffee.

"More cumbersome than anything," Hashi said off-handedly. "Near enough a ton."

Sokka had started to forget that the Fire Nation had a different accent and different word choice for things. He was so used to it that he probably started to talk like them. The next time he spoke to anyone outside he would definitely have to ask if Zuko was rubbing off on him. That would probably be the case, not that he minded. It would just be interesting to see how the Fire Nation was starting to change him. He hoped only that he has changed Zuko too and showed him some of the Southern Water Tribe spirit.

Sokka rejoined the present when he heard the thud of ledger hitting the mahogany table. He was jolted by the sound, and was glad that Hashi's back was towards him. Hashi didn't need to see him flinch that way.

"So, Hashi, what can I do for you?" Sokka, asked walking towards the table to sit beside him.

"The Chancellor of His Majesty's Exchequer does a monthly report on the condition of the economy. That includes, in very general terms, the expenses of His Lordship's Household."

"Oh?" Sokka said, sitting down in a chair on the nearest side to Hashi at the square coffee table.

"That report and that of the Report from the Governor-General of the Royal Bank of the Fire Nation gives a good picture of how the economy did in the month prior. It tells us and the public about inflation, unemployment, employment, pension payments, growth varying sectors et cetera, et cetera. That helps us, and all the people make decisions about what to do with their money."

"I see."

"Of course, it is actually more simple than I make it sound. We try to encourage people to spend their money in as different places as they can to keep the economy moving in all sectors. The most important thing is that people have money to spend and that they spend it."

"Certainly." The Southern Water Tribe's economy was not as complicated, but worked mainly with the free market system as well. It wasn't as big or diversified, but free enterprise was what he was taught.

"Right now it's imperative as the Exchequer is about to start doling out service annuities for the soldiers returning now and for making good War Bonds sold for the effort because the people have the right to collect their money back. It's going to be expensive and the Chancellor and Governor General want to make sure that the budget to the Royal Household is sustained."

"I understand."

"So, Master Sokka, for the report that is due to be published tomorrow I just need to ask you a few details about the expenditures you incurred in the month of September."

"Expenditures?" The Water Tribesman did not like how complicated this sounded. "What do you mean? I mean, I know what the word means," Sokka chuckled, "But, I mean, what money am I supposed to be spending here?"

"Hmm. What I'm saying is, have you withdrawn from your account?" Hashi grabbed a pen and was ready to write in the amounts.

"Account? I don't have an account in the Bank of the Fire Nation. Do I?"

"Yes, didn't you know?" Hashi, put his pen down, scratched the back of his head, and sat back in the chair. He was usually sure of himself, but now he was quite confused by this. "Weren't you the one who opened it?"

"No, I don't have a clue what you're talking about I didn't even know that this country had a central bank until when you just told me."

"You haven't a clue. Really?" Hasi ashed the question squinting in confusion. He knew that Sokka was telling the truth.

"Yes, really." Sokka answered.

"You have an account in this Ledger. In fact, you're the second line in the book under the Fire Lord Himself."

"Wait, what? Can I see it?"

"That is most irregular to let anyone but the Chancellor or the Governor see this, but I suppose I can let you see it. I need to figure this out myself." Hashi said, rotating the book so that Sokka could read the figures in it.

Hashi started to explain the layout of the charts in front of him.

"Well, I might as well explain it all to you. The Fire Lord trusts you so I shall too. On this top line, of course is His Majesty. His monthly income written out and his monthly expenditure. The net left over which is then put into the Bank and so on. So for September, he spent only a fraction of what his predecessor on the throne spent. I never thought I would see a Fire Lord spend less than 100,000 pounds in a month."

"Pounds?" Sokka was interested. Was that the actual name of the currency?

"Yes, that's technically what the currency is called. No one says it, they just call it by whatever metal is being used. A pound is one gold piece. The money is pressed and pounded hence pounds."

"Ah."

"And a big silver piece is worth half a gold piece, a medium-sized silver piece is worth one-quarter, a small silver piece is worth one tenth of one quarter. A copper piece is worth one-hundredth of the gold piece."

"Why not decimalize the currency?"

"What do you mean?"

"You already have fractions that work out perfectly into one hundred parts like, pence or cents."

"You already have a penny, a dime, a quarter, a half pound, you might as well just use the decimals."  
"That is something to be considered. It would make accounting much easier than writing out all of these fractions, I might even use that for recording the statistics for October" Hashi realized aloud, "So, down here, on your line, you have an account worth one million pounds."

"A million gold pieces?!" Sokka almost shouted. He looked down at the ledger and glaring next to his name was the seven digit number in red ink.

"The interest compounds at a rate of about ten percent per month. That being said, this Fire Lord has been so fiscally conservative, he could live off of the interest that you receive."

"Zuko's living lavishly to me. I mean look at this place. And he's putting in electricity, and telephones amd all sorts of technology."

"Master Sokka, Ozai spent about 100,000 on clothes in the last month of his reign alone."

"Goodness, I just send down the clothing I have to be laundered. Those machines you have are impressive."

"They are very advanced machines. Even so Sir, their use are palace expenses, not yours."

"I eat here, and all the other things come part and parcel with the palace. I haven't needed to spend any money outside of this place. Everything I do is a service of this palace. I don't suppose that any of that counts towards any personal expenditure."

"No."

Sokka got up, "You know what? I'm going downstairs to get a massage and use that spa. Oh, and have some ice cream"

"That doesn't count either," Hashi chuckled.

"Dammit."

* * *

Friday, October 5th, 1900, 07:30

Sokka was getting dressed when the phone in his bedroom started to ring. He ran to it, but did not pick it up immediately. He didn't want to appear to eager. He smoothed out the robe he was wearing, inhaled a disproportionate amount of air, let it go and then reached for the telephone. He let it ring one more time before he put the speaker up to his ear and the receiver up to his mouth.

"Hello," he answered.

"Yeah, uh… Sokka?" Zuko sounded nervous on the other end and that made Sokka nervous.

"Yeah, what's up?" Sokka said trying his best to sound collected. The success of that objective is still debated

"No, nothing, it's nothing. No, I tell a lie, it is something. It's not like something really big, but it's not small either."

"So, it's something?"

"Yes it's something."

"What is it then?" Sokka was not being reassured in the slightest.

"It's something good."

"Good?"

"Yes, good." Zuko said.

"Good." Sokka answered, the word now feeling awkward in his mouth and resounding worse in his ears.

"Yeah, it's a surprise, like a good surprise." Zuko was sweating on the other end of the line. Seriously, Zuko was sitting on his bed shaking like a leaf, his palms getting so sweaty that he could not hold the mouthpiece still, and his heart racing. The raging, throbbing boner wasn't helping him sound calm to Sokka either.

"Okay, I like surprises, good surprises."

"Oh, yeah, cool. I, uh, just meet me outside in let's just say, uh half an hour. Yeah, you know, by the Southern Gate. And make sure to bring your sword, you'll need it"

"Sure. Ok then, I'll bring the space sword."

"Okay, good, it's a plan, see you there, bye."

"Luvya, bye," Sokka said quickly, not thinking. Sokka didn't even hear it, and so he had no reaction on his end.

Zuko hung up and he exhaled quickly. He was finished getting dressed and wanted to take one last look in the mirror. He had gone to the spa earlier in the morning. He had his hair cut, and every square inch of his skin buffed and smoothed over. He smelled like vanilla. Why? Because he chose it.

And why did he choose it? Sokka liked vanilla ice cream.

He walked to it and felt a little silly dressed in all these royal clothes. He looked at his face, he was blushing a little and wanted desperately to stop, but his nerves at this surprise he had. If this went right, he was going to get the prize that he had been seeking for a while now.

"Wait?!" Zuko stopped in his tracks and sitting back down on the bed. "Did he just say he loved me? No I misheard him."

He got up and continued preparing for a moment, "No, no, you heard it, Zuko. You know you heard it. He said it, 'luvya', I know he did." He sat back on the bed as he considered the implications of his slip."Yeah, he just slipped up, that's all. It was like platonic, friendly not sexual. Yeah, I mean he's Sokka. There's nothing homosexual about him. He's on the straight and narrow."  
The butterflies in Zuko's stomach started to flutter more than that had been already. "He said he loved me. This can't be happening." He clasped his hands together, shut his eyes and lifted them up to his face in a strange nervous prayer "This might actually be happening. Please all those good angels and spirits in Heaven above let him love me back. Please, please, please let him love me back." He opened his eyes and realized that he should get moving. He wiped a tear of hope and fear away. He had never felt this strongly about anyone and he knew that he was going to burst if he didn't know.

He knew that his odds were small, but something in him, burning like an eternal flame held out hope.

"Just relax." He said to himself.

* * *

"Zuko," Sokka was very befuddled, as he squinted in the warm sunlight. "What is going on? What's this surprise?"

"Wait," Zuko said, having regained his nerves from his mini meltdown. His nerves held as he continued to speak, "The surprise is on it's way. At least part one of it is."

"Part one?"

"You heard me." Zuko smirked, the innocent seeming praying boy was replaced with an imp whose only thought were carnal desire.

"Wait, do you hear that?" Sokka cupped his right hand up to the corresponding ear. It sounds like ostrich horses and a marching battalion of soldiers. Sokka turned around and saw four ostrich horses pulling a cart and several dozen soldiers marching in step. They were wearing black uniforms and held the swords ready. Another unit came out, dressed in red, all with instruments in hand. Some more emerged on ostrich horses and rhinos.

"We're going on a Royal Progress down to the bay. It's about three miles, through the town and down to the ocean."

"Wow," Sokka was amazed at the display. The carriage came up to them. The two guards riding on the carriage in the back descended and opened the door on either side. Sokka got in on the left and Zuko on the right. The doors were closed again and the two guards saluted on either side. Sokka had to stifle a laugh. He had never been saluted by a man wearing a powdered wig before. It was ridiculous looking. The carriage was small, ornate, but small so their bodies were touching. Sokka smelled something sweet. Like vanilla ice cream and he liked it. "All of this is amazing." He said. He maneuvered to take the sword off. His sword (well it's handle) was poking Zuko, and he didn't like the metaphor.

"This is only the beginning of the surprise." Zuko said. He was hoping that everything he told his people to do at Ember Island was done.

The wigged guards did not get back onto the back of the carriage. They were going to stay the the palace and two new people would let them out at the destination. The gate opened.

Sokka looked over at Zuko. He was on the side with scar and looked on, still astonished by how good looking Zuko was even with the scar. "I have something to ask you Zuko?"

Zuko tensed up slightly and looked over at the Water Prince, "Yes?"

The carriage started moving forward

"Hashi came to me last night."

"Oh?" Zuko's nerves were making him jealous without cause.

"He showed me-"

"Yes?"

"He showed me the Royal Ledger and that I had an account worth a million pounds."

"I… sort of set that up."

"Yes?" Sokka asked, "Why?"

"Well I uh… if you wanted to buy something, I didn't want you to come asking me."

Sokka squinted in a mix of consternation and shock.

"Sorry, that didn't uh, come out right. I just wanted you to have some money to spend on yourself. If you wanted something for yourself you could get it and not involve me is all, not that I mind. You can buy anything you please without my interference, because frankly what you buy is none of my business. Anything you want to do, you can, you know, just do it."

"Why so much Zuko?"

"I just wanted to make sure you didn't want for or need anything while you were here. I hope you weren't offended."

"No, it was just a surprise. A good surprise."

"I set up the account last month and I totally forgot to tell you. With all these things going on it's hard enough to remember what day of the week it is, let alone things like that."

"Well, today is Friday and apparently I have money in two countries. All I need is an Earth Kingdom account, and I'll have the trifecta. As for you, you are the master of suspense. I have absolutely no idea what is going on right now."

Zuko took a bit of comfort in that, "So you mean I'm in control right now."

Sokka sensed what he was doing and gave the worst answer possible, "It most assuredly appears that way."

Zuko squirmed and Sokka loved it. "Well I could have just as well blindfolded you," the Fire Lord started, "It would still be the same. You don't know what's going on."

"No, I don't. You're quite right. I have no clue what's coming next. That, Zuko, describes how I've lived my whole life. Blindfolding me would have been interesting. Uncertainty excites me, it makes me perk up. "

"Oh, does it?" Zuko was losing this game. It was okay, he wanted to.

"Yes, and since you've promised me that the surprise is good, I am very much looking forward to it. I know I can handle it."

" It ? And you don't know what it is. You're a bit cocky, aren't you?" Zuko's tone didn't betray his flirtatiousness.

"Cocky? Maybe… but I don't disappoint, I always rise to the occasion." Sokka's voice was thick with euphemism. The sexual tension between them was going to have to be released soon. Zuko still did not know if Sokka was flirting or having a regular conversation. His nerves prevented him from hearing Sokka's very forward manner of speech.

"You always rise to the occasion?" Zuko asked.

"Never fallen short."

"Good, there may be times when I will need you to help me out and your ability to be ready for action will be invaluable"

"Help?" Sokka liked this, Zuko and he were in a beautiful dance of innuendo.

"Yes, Sokka, help, there are some things that need to partner, someone there to help, give a helping hand, or you know or-"

"No, I don't know." Sokka smirked.

"Provide assistance. Which at times may require some physical prowess or dexterity."

"I aim to please and succeed every time in doing so."

"You have pleased me greatly with the assistance you have already given. With things getting more complicated, I know that I will need more of your assistance day and night."

"I will provide as much as I can whenever I can"

"It is admittedly very generous, Sokka. You have been very, very helpful."

"Thank you," Sokka answered.

"No, Sokka, thank you. You're boldness and confidence has inspired me greatly."

"My boldness?"

"You say that you're not cocky, so I'll say you're bold. Every part of you is bold." Zuko was skirting the line here.

"Well, I am glad I inspire you so much. You inspire me too."

"Do I?"

"Yes, you are so noble and I dare say virtuous that you inspire me. Despite the past I really do believe in your inherent innocence. An innocence that stirs up feelings of great fondness for you." Sokka was trying to get under Zuko's skin. It worked.

"Well, Sokka, I don't know how innocent I am and I would hardly call myself virtuous. I have many flaws."

"Like what?" Sokka asked.

"Help me out in only the way you can and you'll find out all the intimate details of my behavior." Zuko checked that one very well. He still was not certain whether or not Sokka was flirting with him.

Sokka was on the defensive now, "And how intimate should that be?"

Zuko leaned closer into Sokka, "Close."

"I-"

The band started to play and the two of them moved apart again, looking out and waving at the crowds that had started to gather on either side of the concourse. The crowds on Sokka's side were cheering just as loudly, and it started to dawn on the Water Tribesman. He had somehow gotten a place in the people's hearts as well. Sokka was in the heart of the Fire Nation.

* * *

They arrived at the dock. There was a grand steamship moored alongside. Sokka still could not fathom where they were headed. He boarded the ship with Zuko and was greeted by a crew all dressed in white. He shook all their hands. It shocked him that he was just as popular, respected and revered as their Sovereign. It made him wonder what the newspapers had been saying about him.

What did people think of him?

It had only been some weeks and Zuko was loved, Ozai was loathed, Azula was forgotten, and now Sokka was at very least accepted. It made everything he was taught about this country incorrect. These people weren't the nasty conquerors and imperialists that he had been taught. He had seen love here, was falling in love here, and was at peace for the first time in his life. At peace, next to Zuko, the love of his life.

At peace, thousands of miles away from home, among the people he had called enemy for most of his life.

Out here, on this boat, he now traveled into the ocean, the sapphire blue waters of the tropics, peace was still.

* * *

After an hour and a half, some land started to appear over the horizon. The land looked familiar to him, but he had seen so much land over the last year that everything looked as if he had seen it before. He probably had seen it.

When they reached the shore the memories were flooding back. He was still definitely in the Fire Nation. It would have certainly taken more than an hour and a half to leave those waters.

"Welcome to Ember Island" Zuko said.

"Oh-"

"I was thinking thinking that you needed a break."

"We both do. We both deserve a chance to rest and relax."

* * *

At the Fire Lord's Mansion, 11:30

The duo were standing in the living room.

"I thought, Sokka, that coming back to this place, being self sufficient the way we were might help you to relax."

"Relaxation. That is a good surprise." Sokka was loving Zuko's mind more and more by the minute.

"First thing first, I'm ditching these stupid robes," Zuko said already starting to unfasten the shoulder spikes. I made sure that they put clothes in the room next to the master bedroom for you. Your room is right next to mine, it's almost as big, so you know..." Zuko was walking away as he continued to strip.

When they both came outside after changing, the courtyard was changed, done up a little. First, it was grass instead of concrete. The big shade tree was still there and was keeping the area cool for them. At the far end of the courtyard there was a large rotisserie big enough to roast a pig. It was empty for now, but Zuko had a plan for that. He was a firebender and there would be a meat delivery soon. They were dressed way down. They were both wearing shorts that came to the knee and was made of the thin black material of what we now call track pants. They were shirts that were the predecessors of t-shirts, made of the same material but red in color.. The neck was cut into the shape of a 'V' as well.

"This is nice," Sokka said kicking off his shoes, which happened to be like the sandals the Sandbenders wore in the Si Wong desert "I like this. An oasis from all the pressures of politics. A place to escape." He curled his toes into the grass and loved how it felt

"And be free and have a gay time." Zuko said, not knowing that was the word Sokka had picked to describe his feelings towards the Fire Lord.

"Or two, or three." Sokka's internal dialogue was telling him to kiss Zuko, but he held back. His nerves were being frayed in a bad way. He was getting scared. The repercussions of that made him balk.

"You just say the word," Zuko walked away from him towards one of the chairs under the tree.

* * *

Sokka had been practicing with his sword for about an hour. The shirt had come off a long time ago. Zuko was reading, well pretending to read his book as he peered over the top edge to look at Sokka's glistening body, as the sweat twinkled in the sunlight that passed unfiltered through the leaves.

Zuko was through with the waiting, "Are you done playing with your sword yet."  
"Playing?" Sokka stood straight up at the innuendo and the insult. He brushed some of the hair out of his eyes, "I'm not playing. This isn't a game, Zuko. I'm a Master trained by Piandao himself." Sokka's voice was calm.

"Looks like you were playing to me." Zuko said flippantly.

"This is a serious martial art! This took many hundreds, no thousands of hours of practice to perfect these forms!" Sokka was hot and now bothered by the Fire Lord. He didn't realize it then, but in that moment he had lost. Zuko was the master of this moment. Sokka would receive his mastery over Zuko later.

"Still looks like you're playing with it to me. You're all rigid, but I'm no expert."

"Obviously." Sokka was pissed the fuck off.

"He's so cute when he's angry," Zuko thought. He stood up from the lawn chair, used he is feet to remove the canvas shoes, took off his shirt, threw it down and started towards the object of his affections. "I know something I am an expert at."

"What?" Sokka was still miffed.

Zuko continued approaching,"When you put the sword away, I'll show you."

Sokka was still upset, he walked past Zuko, bumping shoulders with him. Zuko yielded only slightly at the pleasant contact. And Zuko love how Sokka smelled, it simply reinforced how manly Sokka was and how much he would enjoy being beneath him.

Sokka sheathed his sword and leaned it against the tree. He went back out onto the center of the grass and joined Zuko. "So what are you so good at?"

"Wrestling," Zuko said, "The way you were playing with that sword, I bet I could take you down right now."

"You? Ha… I'd love to see you try. You're shorter, you don't have as much muscle. I could have you pinned in ten seconds. You're built like a dancer or a swimmer, not like a wrestler."

"You wish," Zuko was guiding this where he wanted. He couldn't have written it better :)

"Yeah, right," Sokka said.

"Oh," Zuko pivoted putting his plan into full motion, "I wanna wager this."

"Hmm."

"Whoever taps out first has to do anything, and everything the winner says for the rest of our weekend here." Zuko said.

"Anything?"

"Anything." Zuko said with a smirk. "Deal?"

"Deal."

They both got into the fighting stance, shoulders squared hunched. The ground was even and nothing external to them made the fight unfair. When basing this fight only upon the words and not the tone on which they were delivered, this was simply a rassle, a friendly competition of masculine strength.

Putting the homoerotisism to the side, forgetting that he was very fond of Zuko, Sokka viewed this as a redemption. Zuko had inadvertently, or so Sokka thought, challenged his manhood, called him weak. Sokka, forgetting all the mushy feelings he had for the Fire Lord, knew that the best way to prove how much of a man he was by dominating and completely owning another.

"Ready?" Sokka asked.

A affirmative nod from the Fire Lord.

"Three, two, one. Go!"

The two bodies collided with a thud and it was quite evident that Sokka had the advantage. Sokka manage to get his arms around Zuko's hips, and appreciated for the first time how small his waist was. Sokka bore down on him a bit trying to get Zuko to fall.

Zuko, even at the disadvantage, was strong. He shifted his power upward in an attempt to shift back Sokka's shoulders. After a bit of persistence Sokka's footing was starting to give, but he didn't slip.

Sokka let go of Zuko in an attempt to regain control. That allowed him to parry off Zuko's pushing. Zuko fell slightly off balance and moved too far forward to keep him stable. He starting falling forward and to the water tribesman's left. Sokka shifted his shoulders to his right, as to not fall down with and end up under Zuko.

Zuko's fall didn't last for long as his jumped up slightly, lifted his feet, and floated almost flew to Sokka's left side.

Zuko landed again and was now able to destabilize Sokka's footing. Sokka was still leaning back to dodge the fist attack when Zuko hit him with another with attack from a few degrees over. Sokka fell down. Zuko pounced on him and had him pinned. Ground and pound, without the punching.

"Too small, huh?" Zuko said, wiping his hair from in front of his eyes.

"Fuck you," Sokka muttered, still pissed.

"Someone's ego a little bruised, huh?" Zuko chuckled.

"Aaaaahhhh," Sokka screamed and with all his remaining might, he overturned Zuko. Sokka was over him now, his hair in a violent disarray. He wiped it from in front of his eyes now. "What the fuck is your problem, man?" He cursed and it made Zuko stiffen, well it made his boner stiffen and twitch. The Fire Lord smirked. He had played Sokka like a game and won handily.

"I can't move." Zuko was completely under Sokka's power, it felt so good and so right that he wanted Sokka to fuck him right then,

"So, you gonna tap out?" Sokka had him pinned holding Zuko's wrists down to the grass

"Yes," Zuko said calmly. He hit the grass beneath him.

"Ha!" Sokka said, "Now the Fire Lord is my personal slave for the next two days. First thing's first. Apologize for the playing with my sword thing you said."

"I'm sorry that you didn't like what I said about you playing with your sword." Zuko was still beneath him and was still teasing him.

Sokka leaned down leaving their faces only a couple of inches apart. He grabbed hold of Zuko's wrists so that Zuko was truly immobilized. "NO, I mean it. You need to say you're sorry." The hate was dripping off his voice. Their eyes were in full contact and their noses we only about a centimeter apart. Zuko knew that this may be his only chance to start this thing. He sent up a quick prayer to whatever spirit controlled love.

"I'm sorry," Zuko said voice gravelly, and shall we say carnal, "Let me make it up to you."

Sokka's eyes opened wide when he realized what this was. He got up and off of Zuko.

"No, no, no, no no, not now, not now, n...not fucking now," Sokka said having risen completely to his feet. He ran his hands through his hair in nervousness, paced back and forth in front of the still prone monarch. "Fuck," Sokka spat out the word walking off briskly back into the house.

Zuko's plan didn't work. Zuko didn't want to start crying, he didn't want to have those convulsive gasps but Sokka inadvertently ripped the Fire Lord's heart out of his chest. In that moment Zuko wished that a hole would just open up beneath him and swallow him. He started screaming in vain. There was nobody around. He ordered for there to be no guards about to hear him. "Every time! Every, single time! Another thing blowing up in my face!"

* * *

8:00 PM

The sun had set but the sky was still lit. It was dusk and the two had not seen each other or talked to each other. When the meat that Zuko had ordered showed up, he turned it away. He wasn't hungry and Sokka did not seem to be hungry either. Zuko had his sixth cry of the day on the sofa he ha in the room on the second story. It overlooked the spot where his heart was destroyed. He looked down there and the sheathed sword was still leaning against the tree. He walked out onto the balcony and felt the gentle Fire Nation breeze blowing through his hair, still damp from the long shower he took. He saw the branches of the tree dancing gently in the wind and wished he could be at peace the same way that tree was. No cares in the world, just peace and restfulness. He looked again at the sword.

Zuko knew that he should probably bring it inside, so he went back into his room, shutting the balcony doors behind him and closing the curtains thereto attached. He went into the hallway, actually bothering to put on some sandals. He simply did not care any more. He would probably live and die a virgin king. The idea was starting to ring louder and louder that this whole love thing, no matter if it was romantic, platonic, or familial wasn't meant for him. It never, ever seemed to work for him.

His mother was dead. His father, who only loved his sister, was dead. His sister was insane, probably baying at the moon as he though. The woman he thought he would marry was dead having been killed by his crazy sister. His uncle, whom he had stabbed in the back, was on the other side of the planet. Now Sokka had walked away from him and he felt much poorer for not having seen him in so many hours. He wanted to see Sokka even if the Water Tribesman hated his guts now. Even if all Sokka did was beat him to a pulp he would feel better.

Zuko turned the corner on the stairs and still did not see Sokka, so he continued on through the living room and out onto the grass. He looked down to where he had ditched his shoes. They were nowhere to be found. It was odd, but that was of no concern now. He walked over to the sword, grabbed it carefully and brought it back inside. He shut the doors and locked them behind him. He set it down on a mahogany table to the right of the doors. Then he closed the red curtains so that no one could see into the house.

He sat back down on the couch feeling afraid and vulnerable, the same feeling when his father burned and banished him. He lay down on the couch looking up at the ceiling, wondering what would come next. He wondered how he was going to move forward after he destroyed a true friendship in a selfish plot for lust. His guilt was starting to eat him up.

He heard footsteps approaching, and against his better judgment, he sat up to see Sokka approaching him. He looked up at Sokka's eyes. Something was off, they looked puffy to Zuko. Wait, had Sokka been crying too? No, it had to be his imagination. Sokka was mad, not sad. Zuko avoided the eye contact and hoped that Sokka wouldn't have anything more to say. His hope was dashed very quickly.

"Zuko," Sokka's voice was cracking a little with a mix of nervousness, and sadness, "we need to talk."

"Yeah, we have to figure this out." Zuko sat up. He gestured for Sokka to sit beside him.

"Yeah," Sokka made his way around to the couch and sat to Zuko's right, "I need to talk to you, you know and settle some things."

"I… um… I'm sor-"

" No, Zuko let me talk."

"Sorry," said the Fire Lord.

"You have shown me great kindness and hospitality over the last weeks and in many ways I have enjoyed myself more than I had any time in my life. I mean I never thought I would be living in a great big palace in a room that almost seems bigger than the village I grew up in. I'm eating, drinking, living like a king. I go outside and I am treated as if there is nothing different about me. Your people seem to love me because I am helping you.

He continued, " Almost everything in my life has gotten appreciably better. Materially, as I have pointed out before, I had never experienced so much luxury and nothing suggested before all of this that I could have or should have. Intellectually, I know that I have made many advancements, reading more of your literature, discovering your philosophy, finding the real reason why this war happened.

"The reasons that Katara and I found Aang in the iceburg. Why me? You were born into the Fire Lord. Why you? You spent a great part of your life trying to prove your worthiness by finding Aang . I tried to prove mine by trying to be a soldier, fighting and perhaps dying in glory. But for some reason, you and I were destined to cross paths, violently at first, and with great hate for what the other stood for. You saw me, no doubt, you saw me as someone who only acted to obstruct what you thought was your destiny."

Zuko nodded, not knowing where this overview was going to lead. Sokka's retelling of the story thrilled him, yet filled him with dread. It would be his luck for there to be a sad ending. His emotions at this point were so dark that Sokka saying no would only fit the nihilistic farce he had written for himself. Somehow he felt a bit of hope. His emotions were a fucking mess.

Sokka's talking which was starting to sound more and more as a soliloquy, went on and Zuko looked into his eyes hanging on every word.

"I saw you as a symbol of depraved imperialism, greed, and selfishness. But the thing that bound us is that neither of us hated the other person. We hated what the other symbolized, not the actual flesh and bone that acted and wanted to achieve his goal. We desperately wanted to stop what the other represented. In any other time I'm sure we could have been friends."

Zuko took a deep breath, he thought that Sokka was ending the possibility of them being friends. He stopped himself from letting tears well up as he continued to listen. What he was sure of was this: He wouldn't let Sokka see him cry. He had embarrassed Sokka enough.

"But this lifetime is different than any other lifetime ever. A century of war is over. People are installing electric lights in their homes, we have telephones, any two people can get married. Nothing like these new and exciting times have ever existed, and nothing quite so bold in this country will exist again. I had to re-evaluate what I had thought and believed before. Everything I was taught is bucking up against this change. I find that I get stubborn and intransigent and when I think again about everything, including the philosophy that I thought drove humans and what we do. I once said to you that I thought that many things were up to fate and that destiny was something predetermined, charted out by the stars in the beginning.

"Everything that has happened in the last weeks has shown me that we, humans, all people, have the ability to choose their own fate. The wind my try to push our boat in a certain direction but you or I or anyone who wants to controls the rudders. We do all the steering. So it is quite clearly up to every individual involved how they will proceed in all aspects of life. We can choose, greed or generosity, war or peace, hate or love .

"That brings me back to what I said a moment ago about my life improving and those betterments being very appreciable in almost every aspect in my life. One aspect of my life that has not gotten better is my emotional being. Ever since I have stepped into that palace my emotions have been so raw and twisted. I've known no peace since this war ended and I don't know if I'll ever know it. It would give me a little peace of mind if you would accept my apology for walking off the way I did. I shouldn't have just left you on the ground like that."

"But Sokka it was m-"

"Please just say you forgive me." Sokka begged.

"I forgive you, even though I'm the one who's supposed to be apologizing. I just sort of freaked out, and I shouldn't have- "  
"No, it's me and let me tell you why I walked off. I don't know how to express myself really well. My parents didn't really emote well and dad not at all after mom... I uh… I was never good with dealing with my feelings. I don't know how to express anger or fear or disappointment or love at all. The words don't come out. The demonstrations aren't much better. I keep a lot in that I ought to say but I was raised that way. I mean war kind of takes a lot away and I… I mean... W-what happened today Zuko was me not being really good with uh…" Sokka started to scratch the back of his neck, "telling people how I feel. I wish I knew how to like say it for myself and use my own words. Today you threw me off guard, I uh..." Sokka was getting flustered.

"What?"

"I hope that what I say next can finally set straight what I think about you and what I think we should be. Zuko I don't want it to be just the way it was. Today changed that so completely that the old way we dealt with each other is dead and it's time for something new. You know, something better, for you and for me/ I don't know how to say it so I'm going to borrow this from somewhere Zuko, some of the most powerful words I ever, ever heard in my life"

Sokka grabbed Zuko's hands and scooched closer to him. Sokka was now looking deep into those golden eyes he had come to love. He saw that he had hurt the man behind them and he wanted to do more than make amends. He wanted to make Zuko feel good.

"I- I-," Sokka struggled, a little afraid of what he was going to say, "I love you, Zuko" Sokka felt like a weight had been lifted with the admission of those words.

Zuko's eyes opened wide and he couldn't help but grin like he did when he was happy.

"I know that you weren't expecting me to say it but I am deeply, embarrassingly, frustratingly, completely in love with you. I think about you every second everyday when I wake up I think about wanting to see you. And I hate every time I have to leave you. Day and night I think about you. I love you, Zuko, and, " Sokka leaned in, "I can't wait any longer to show you,"

"Sokka, you told me that you loved me on the phone this morning. You didn't mean to, but you said it," Zuko exhaled his despair and inhaled relief and lust filled his mind much in the same way he wanted Sokka to fill his body, "You said it now. My question is this: Are you going to prove it?" Zuko leaned in. "Well are you?"

Sokka didn't even answer he just went in for the lips he had dreamt about for the longest and put his hand on the royal dick through the shorts, his sceptre as it were.

* * *

It was a bit of a blur how they got up the stairs. Sokka had Zuko pinned against the door to Zuko's room, they were in full Fire Kiss as they called it, using their tongues. They had long forgotten any ceremony and they were both grinding into each other. Zuko fumbled behind him for the knob to open the door. He wanted to go to bed with Sokka immediately. If Sokka was half as good a lover as he was a kisser, Zuko wouldn't want to leave the bedroom at all.

He found the knob and pushed the door open, or rather he fell backwards as Sokka held his face in his hands. Zuko felt the passion that had been building up for months. His cock had never, ever been so hard and he wondered what Sokka's looked like. The wondering would come to an end soon. Sokka broke off the kiss.

"Too many clothes," he said in gasps, kicking off his shoes first.

"Yeah," all Zuko could do was agree as he took his shirt off.

"Zuko," Sokka whispered in his ear, "I want you."

Zuko shuddered, yearning to be possessed by his love. He took off his shirt and unceremoniously threw it away from him. The Sokka looked down at the perfect set of abs and the perked light brown nipples and was certain that he wanted to see more. He kissed Zuko again, just a peck this time as he felt Zuko lifting up his shirt.

It was Zuko's turn to have a peek at his prize and he love every inch of what he saw. Sokka's chest was glistening with sweat and Zuko pulled them even closer.  
They were now in full contact as they took some more steps towards the bed. The kissing grew more intense as Sokka held Zuko's face in his hands. The bed had no footboard, so they climbed into it lips still locked. Sokka was on top as seemed natural to the both of them, and by now he was rubbing Zuko's cockthoriugh the fabric of the shorts. Zuko, no surprise, was warm to the touch and had ample down below to call himself a man.

Zuko moaned into Sokka's mouth and ground his hips into Sokka's touch. Sokka loved how responsive Zuko could be. They separated for a moment to breathe a bit. Zuko got ready and slipped off his shorts, and reaching forward and started to tug at Sokka's shorts. They did not come down as easily as he would have liked. He visibly pouted at that fact.

"Somebody's excited," Sokka said, after witnessing the effort and after looking down at Zuko's cock. It was better than he ever dreamed. Sokka estimated that it was about seven and a half inches long. Not being circumcised, Zuko's cock was pale and a bit veiny, with the a nice red head that was already leaking pre-cum like a faucet. Much to Sokka's delight, that textbook about firebenders he read was right. Zuko was hairless down there, completely smooth. He, Zuko, or rather his sizable dick, was visibly throbbing, and Sokka salivated at the sight.

Sokka untied his shorts and shed them kicking them off the bed. They were naked now and they went back to making out. Their tongue were trapped in a sensual dance as they both stroked themselves slowly, almost enjoying this contact to much. Sokka was still on top when Zuko started the process of rolling them over. Zuko sort of flipped over, going from supine to almost a crawling position. Sokka ended up on his back, with Zuko in the crawling position.

The Fire Lord broke off the kiss, he turned around and started to crawl down the bed, giving Sokka a very nice view of his ass, again, no hair in the back either, or on the legs for that matter. Zuko crawled around and found what he thought was his proper place between Sokka's legs.

He stopped at Sokka's nipples and kissed them quickly, rubbing his hands simultaneously up and down Sokka's washboard abs. He made a trip down Sokka's torso with his tongue before resuming his journey to Sokka's length.

"Oh, fuck," Zuko moaned when he got close to the prize. An impressive nine inches of hard, precum-oozing, uncut Southern Water Tribe cock greeted Zuko and he wondered how he was going to handle it. Zuko realized the rumors were true when he wrapped his hand around the base. The girth was also impressive as Zuko felt like he was grabbing a warm steel rod wrapped in silk. He played with it for a bit, and he could feel Sokka grinding into his hands. Zuko slapped the massive dick on his face a couple of times resulting in some precum being left on his lips. Zuko licked it up and was intoxicated by the flavor sweet flavor it had.

Zuko stuck out his tongue and licked the precum right off the tip of Sokka's straight brown sword. He swirled his tongue around the small slit and started to lick under where the foreskin and glans met. Next, Zuko started to run his tongue up and down the length of the organ in front of him; he was teasing Sokka. Sokka was getting enough pleasure out of those light stuff to not care, but soon Zuko was going to prove another thing that Sokka had read.

Allegedly, according to that fantastic book, firebenders had no gag reflex.

Zuko, shortly after, put that notion to the test for Sokka. Zuko had been practicing on cucumbers he sneaked from the kitchen to make sure he didn't leave any bite marks. And though it was true that there was no gag reflex, he didn't want Sokka's cock to take any damage from carelessness. Zuko opened his mouth and started to bob up and down. Sokka leaned back in ecstasy, reveling in how warm and wet Zuko's mouth was.

"Oh, fuck, that's hot," Sokka moaned, his back arching up. He reached down and grabbed the back of Zuko's head and started to guide Zuko's head down lower and lower on his cock. Zuko had taken to keeping himself hard with regular strokes with his left hand. They weren't necessary movements as the thought and now reality of Sokka's dick in his mouth proved stimulus enough.

Zuko after a minute and half of effort was finally able to get able to what Zuko called 'deep throat' Sokka's manhood. His nose was now firmly planted into Sokka's pubes and he love the taste of it. Since he wasn't gagging and struggling he enjoying the feeling of that rod in his mouth. His gratification was heightened at the realization of Sokka's enthusiasm, with the latter pushing former's head down onto his sex with increasing speed and vigor. For a few more minutes the Fire Lord indulged the Water Prince's desire bobbing up and down on latter's region with gusto. He loved how Sokka managed to rub his hair while he forced pushed Zuko's face into his crotch. Sokka managed to meld gentleness with forcefulness, a quality that has already earned Zuko's undying affection. He made sure to look up into Sokka's eyes as he serviced him. Sokka could only look away from those golden eyes as they stared heat into him.

Zuko reached up and removed Sokka's hands from the back of his head. Zuko came up for air, or in more accurate terms, to pause for a moment to assess his performance. Sokka looked longingly at Zuko as the Fire Lord adjusted, and sat up slightly, grabbed Sokka's meat by the right hand, hit the moistened cock against his face again. He licked, more like sucked on his left middle finger, getting it satisfactorily slick and started playing with that sweet hole Sokka had dreamt about.

"I told you I was good with a sword," Zuko said lustfully, "But what are you gonna do with it?"

"Get over here," Sokka almost commanded, sitting up against the mahogany headboard of the very large bed. Zuko crawled from where he was and made his way up to Sokka face to face.

"I have some lubricant in this drawer on the nightstand. It's vanilla flavored." Zuko said reaching over and retrieved a glass bottle of clear liquid. Zuko popped off a sort of cork and held the bottle an inch from Sokka's nose. It smelled like vanilla just as Zuko said. "I know what you want to do," Zuko smirked, "And I know what you want to taste."

Sokka grabbed the bottle from Zuko's hand, "I don't want to taste vanilla," he said sealing and placing the bottle on the bedside table, "I want to taste you . "

At that moment, Sokka grabbed Zuko by the hips and pushed him down. Zuko was now supine on the bed Sokka was prone, but was behind Zuko. He looked at Zuko's cock, with great interest before taking it into his mouth. Sokka's skill was a natural at this, and Zuko noted how wet the blowjob was. Water Tribe indeed. Zuko moaned aloud. "FUCK!" Zuko said when Sokka licked up the bit of precum that formed.

Sokka didn't stay on Zuko's cock for long, not for lack of interest, but out of greater interest in being inside the Fire Lord.

"Flip over," Sokka commanded. Zuko complied, presented his sweet ass to his lover and before he could ask he felt a pair of hands pulling his asscheeks apart.

He, Sokka, took one of the cheeks in each and and pulled them apart. Zuko had dimples on these cheeks too. He looked down at the pink hole in front of him and felt his cock twitch. Sokka stuck out his tongue and went straight for the prize.

Zuko tasted good, clean but the sweat that has started to form there, gave Zuko a particularly masculine flavor that Sokka did not need to get used to. It tasted just right to him. It soon went from gentle swirling to putting his tongue inside that warm hole. Zuko started grinding into the sensation as he started to feel that warm moist flesh reach into him. Zuko grabbed the sheets in front of him, crumpling them in his hands with ecstasy. Sokka found out that Zuko's personality in bed was the opposite of the quiet, reserved, almost silent Fire Lord that he had fallen so in love with.

Zuko's moaning was loud and emotive, as Sokka removed his tongue. He had gotten Zuko sufficiently wet, but he wanted to make sure that Zuko was completely ready. He took his right index and middle fingers and put them in front of Zuko's mouth, on Zuko's lips to be particular. Zuko took the fingers into his mouth and sucked on them lovingly.

Sokka took the now moistened fingers and inserted them slowly into the Fire Lord. Zuko flinched a bit at the sensation. It didn't hurt but he wasn't getting any pleasure out of it until when Sokka started making some scissoring motions...

"OH FUCK, SOKKA" Zuko screamed convulsing, but thankfully not cumming, "What was that?" Zuko had played with his ass before, it felt good, but not that fucking good. Sokka for his part was shocked that his touch could have such a profound impact

"You mean this?" Sokka touched, no, massaged the spot again that got the big reaction, "YES, YES, YESSS, FUCK."

Sokka knew that his lover was ready for what he had to offer. He nudged Zuko a bit and Zuko knew what to to do. He crawled up close to the headboard of the bed and remained on all fours, what would later be called, 'doggy-style' by Zuko (sokka would hate that term later). Sokka got behind him, reaching over to the drawer and grabbed another bottle of lube from it. He opened it, held it up to his nose, and sniffed. It was just what he was looking for. Unscented.

"Is this edible?"

"Mmhmm," was all Zuko could manage nodding in the affirmative. He knew all of the lube was edible.

Sokka smirked, knowing that Zuko was getting frustrated and was ready for the cock. Sokka applied a generous amount of lube to his prick which by now was ready for release. He applied some more to Zuko's ass, and stuck in a finger to make sure that he was still relaxed.

Removing the finger, Sokka scooched up to Zuko's ass, and pressed the head of his cock along Zuko's crack before he settled on Zuko's rear entrance.

"Are you ready?" Sokka asked, careful not to hurt him.

"Mmhmm," Zuko nodded again, though he sounded a little nervous.

Sokka gently pressed into the hole allowing a few centimeters to enter. He felt Zuko clenching and spoke gently to him, knowing that in some ways this was quite a daunting experience for him. "Zuko, relax, I'm not going to hurt you. Flip over."

Zuko flipped over and was looking up at Sokka. Sokka lifted Zuko's legs and propped them up on his shoulders. Bending down, Sokka kissed Zuko again to reassure and relax him, while pressing the head of his cock onto Zuko's hole. His strategy worked as he started to feel the tension relax, and more of his cock slid continued to clench slightly, though Sokka understood why. He only continued the gentle insertion. After a bit of trying, Sokka managed to get completely inside Zuko. He disconnected from the kiss. "Are you okay?" Sokka asked wanted this to be pleasant for both of them. It was already quite nice for Sokka, having his cock surrounded by warm flesh.

"Yeah," Zuko was straining a bit. It hurt but he was trying not to let it show. He grit his teeth, as he started to get used to it. He put his firebending to work and started to use the muscle and breath control that was important to the art. Sokka noticed the difference as Zuko started to relax more completely. Sokka started to slowly pull out to get a rhythm going. Zuko was starting, at last to derive some pleasure out of if. Sokka picked up his pace as Zuko started to moan. After about a minute of this Sokka started to hit the spot that was driving Zuko so crazy. Zuko started to grind his hips into Sokka's cock.  
"Fuck me," Zuko started to grip into the sheets under him. Sokka readjusted a bit and was now paying his full service to Zuko's 'good-spot' a term he would shorten later.

Sokka noticed that Zuko's ass was getting warmer, not just from the friction, but Zuko was using his firebending to get that ass warm. Taking this as encouragement, Sokka picked up the pace even more.

Zuko's toes were curling in ecstasy over Sokka's shoulders. Zuko crossed his legs behind Sokka's neck as his feet still flexed and swayed in absolute pleasure. The only sound in the room now was the rhythmic slap of Sokka's ball's hitting Zuko's ass. Well that was until Zuko started his dirty talking. And it turned out Zuko was a loud fuck.

Sokka continued his ravaging of the Fire Lord as Zuko started to yell, putting his hand on his cock, but too enthralled to bother stroking it.

"FUCK MY LITTLE FIRE NATION ASS, SOKKA."

Sokka took this as heartening. He turned out to be majorly silent when he was fucking. The only thing out of him was an occasional grunt, accompanied by the word 'fuck' whispered under his breath periodically.

"FUCK ME!"

Zuko took a deep breath through his nose and exhaled smoke smoke through his nose.

Sokka was getting somewhat close to the end. Zuko was getting towards the end of his rope too.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, Sokka you're gonna… (gasp) you're gonna make me cum."

Sokka did something evil, he grabbed Zuko's cock in his hand and started to stroke him mercilessly. He wanted them to finish together the same way they started together. Sokka felt how Zuko was tightening up around him. He was getting Zuko closer to the edge as he was starting to get close too.

He used his other hand to play with Zuko's nipples alternating between the left and right. Zuko was still screaming. "OH, FUCK," he shouted as Sokka started only to stroke the top of Zuko's dick, paying special attention to the head.

"I'm cumming," Zuko announced, his breathing hitched.

"Me too," Sokka moaned through gritted teeth.

Zuko spoke again between gasps, "Cum inside me, Fuuu-uuu-uu-uck!"

Right at that moment Zuko's body started convulsing as the first spray of cum erupted from his cock as he felt nothing but love for the man whose was fucking him. Zuko's cum went all over his chest and face, with some of it landing on the headboard behind him and in his now mussed up hair. Sokka continued to stroke him off as jet after jet of hot cum flew out of him. Wickedly, Sokka played with Zuko's tip after he finished, only extending the monarch's ecstasy. As he was still spurting, Zuko's hole tightened around Sokka's manhood and the southerner struggled to stay upright as waves a pleasure ripped through his body and several spurts of thick white cum filled up Zuko's ass.

Sokka pulled out, gently rested Zuko's legs on the bed. Sokka walked over to the drawer opposite the bed and grabbed a couple red of towels that placed there quite conveniently. He walked back over to the bed and fell down on it beside Zuko on the Fire Lord's right.

"That was…" Sokka started between gasps, "hot." He handed Zuko a towel

"Yeah," Zuko said, wiping the ejaculate out of his hair and off his chest, "I kinda been dreaming about that for a while now."

"I uhh, you wanna like uh… go on a date or something?" Sokka said half laughing.

"We did it backwards," Zuko chuckled, "Sex first, then dating."

Zuko snuggled up onto Sokka's side. Zuko put his head on Sokka's chest, right on his pecs. The scar felt intersting aginst Sokka's bare skin, but he did not mind it. It was part of Zuko, so he loved it unreservedly. Zuko heard and listened to Sokka's heartbeat. It was still fast with passion. Zuko used his index finger to play with some of Sokka's chest hairs.

"I'm just happy I can finally do what I've been dreaming of for the last few months. I finally get to be with you," Sokka said, his voice cracking a little, "I'm sorry… it's just, I hurt you so much-"

"You already made up for it."

"I don't mean just s-" Sokka started

"Sokka, you told me that you loved me," Zuko said looking up, " That's all I wanted. I know it wasn't easy for you. It wasn't easy for me, but now I know what you were going through and I shouldn't have been so impatient."

"And I shouldn't have been so evasive." Sokka said.

"I have you now," Zuko said with a grin on his face.

"But what are we going to do, Zuko?" Sokka wondered aloud, "I mean when we get back to the palace and you have to be the Fire Lord again. I can't go too long without seeing you, and being with you."

"Sokka, we can't risk being found out. We have to see each other at night and we can't let them see how we love each other, not now. I don't want you to be my secret."

"But that's how it has to be," Sokka said with a bitter reservation dripping off his voice, "We have to keep this quiet. I'll love you no matter who knows it."

"So," Zuko started, "We have to come up with a story for what we did today. You know, why we came here."

Sokka fabricated something very quickly, "We came to negotiate a trade deal..."

Zuko finished Sokka's thought, "Trying to ensure that normal intercourse is restored between the countries."

Sokka chuckled, "Intercourse, that'll be our little joke."

"There's nothing little about it." Zuko said with a pervy smirk, "I thought you were going to split me down the middle. What do you feed that thing?"

"You." Sokka answered.

"Well if he's up for seconds, just let me know. I feel incomplete without you."

"You know," Sokka chuckled. "I am still feeling a bit peckish."

END PART ONE

* * *

This is the end of Part One, some big political and personal issues are going to arise for the New Fire Lord in Part Two, and some of our old favorites will be coming back in the flesh. Remember the Star Chamber? Remember the Colonies? What brings another leader into town? And _who_ is the Hashi guy and what is he about?


	14. Lessons in Letters and Diplomacy

START OF PART TWO

* * *

Sunday, October 7th, 1900, a quarter to noon

"I really had a lot of fun this weekend," Sokka said, draping his arms over Zuko's slender yet boyish frame, "I wish we could stay here together forever. "

Zuko, who was in front of him, adjusting his robes, and who didn't take kindly to having his robe disheveled spoke, "I did too." He lightly smacked away Sokka's arms.

" _A_ _lot of fun."_ Sokka reiterated, whispering in Zuko's right ear, proceeding to nibble on it lightly, as to convey his feeling, but to leave no mark. Couldn't have the fire Lord with visible hickeys now could we?

"And you said that you weren't demonstrative," Zuko reminded him gently, "You're _very_ demonstrative."

"I may not be very good at romance," Sokka conceded, turning Zuko ninety degrees clockwise, so as to make the face to face. "But I make up in other places. I have other skills"

"But, Soks, you don't understand," Zuko's expression and blushing cheeks were almost demure in their gentleness, cute in their awkwardness "I don't want romance. I just want _you_." Zuko reached up, putting his hand behind Sokka's head, and drawing him into a kiss. This kiss was gentle, warm, and passionate. Sokka hugged Zuko closer, as their osculation deepened in intensity. Their tongues played with and tickled each other. Zuko's blush deepened. The Fire Lord moaned into the kiss, feeling a sort of arousal that wasn't sexual, a sort of attraction that wasn't fleeting. He felt wanted and _loved_ in a way that he never felt, not even with Mai. He wanted to be with Sokka constantly.

After a few moments of warm embrace, the couple separated. Zuko said it first, the words sounding, feeling right passing from his lips, "I love you, Sokka."

"And I love you, Zuko," Sokka returned the sentiment, feeling it more and more every second, he was with the Fire Lord. Zuko was his man, and no one, NO ONE ON EARTH, could tell him anything contrary. This wasn't just some casual friends with benefits situation, or some little fucktoy that Sokka would tire of and throw away. Zuko was… he struggled for a word, it was on the tip of his tongue. Soulmate?

Zuko did one of those cute things that made Sokka blush with delight. Gleefully looking back into the mirror, Zuko smoothed out the silk once more doing a little shimmy where he gyrated his hips almost childishly, "I have a boyfriend," the Fire Lord sang a silly little ditty, "I have a boyfriend and no one can have him cause he's mine."

Sokka blushed, and shook his head nodding no. He was not negating that he was Zuko's boyfriend, rather, he was trying futilely to mask his embarrassment. Zuko saw it in the mirror. He pouted. "What? I don't have a boyfriend?"

"Yes, of course you do," Sokka looked into Zuko's eyes via the mirror. He proceeded to plant a peck on the Fire Lord's cheek. "And I'm thrilled to have you too. It's only that dancing isn't your gift and neither is singing."

"Well for your information, Master Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe," Zuko looked back at his boyfriend through the mirror and spoke jokingly though with an almost convincingly serious tone, "You have seen that I am quite flexible, so dancing is something I am good at, Mister Two Left Feet. You dance pitifully. And besides, these stupid robes just don't show how well these hips move. And after what you did to my throat with that big cock, forgive me if my voice hasn't recovered yet."

"You're right, Zuko, I won't, or my dick won't do anything to damage your voice further, but the yelling my name out in bed might be straining it too." Sokka smirked.

"You can't deny my right, MY ROYAL PREROGATIVE, to suck that beautiful piece of meat you call a part of your anatomy. So don't threaten me like that again. And, as for my shouting, well, I don't shout anywhere else so all that tension has to come out at some point."

"Oh, it cums alright," Sokka said, still smirking.

"Oh, when will you stop being so lewd?" Zuko slapped Sokka's arm lightly only to feel that it did not yield. It was rather like smacking concrete. "I am trying to have a conversation and it always ends up back at sex. Sex, sex, sex."

"When you stop being so… lascivious. And besides you like talking about sex more than I. You like doing it too, lascivious Lord." Sokka pulled a word out of the dictionary to complete his joke.

Matching wits, Zuko returned fire, "I'll stop being so lascivious when you stop being so… licentious."

"And I promise to stop being so licentious when you stop being so… lecherous," Sokka answered back.

Zuko gasped, that was a word used to describe dirty old men. Zuko could not deny 'dirty'. 'Man' was self evident, but dammit he was not old, "And I'll put away my lecherous ways when you put away your… libidinous ways. Zuko was ready to win this one.

"Well, you're lubricious." Sokka answered.

"And, you're libertine," Zuko answered, "Your turn, bet you can't think of one."

"You actually wanna bet that?" Sokka said, having something naughty in mind.

"What?"

"If I can't come up with another 'L' word to say lewd, you can do anything to me in the bedroom. If I can, you have to do anything and _everything_ I say in the bedroom for the next three nights."

"You know what" Zuko answered, feeling that he could not lose, "Make it a week because you're not going to think up another word for that, not one that starts with the letter 'L'."

"Are you sure, really sure that you want to this to yourself Zuko?" Sokka asked. "I won't be as gentlemanly as I have been so far."

"Are you sure about this Sokka, I think I would have you licking me up and down. Head to toe."

"You sure are cocky Zuko," Sokka added, "but 'cocky' is not the word I had in mind. Are you sure you want this bet. There's no backing out."

"Yes, Sokka," Zuko turned and grabbed Sokka's hand, and shook it, "I am willing to bet my body. Somehow I think I'll win either way."

"Okay Zuko," Sokka was going to make a dramatic build to it, "You think that I am lewd, licentious, libidinous, and libertine. I think you are a lascivious, lecherous, lubricious, and last but not least, _**lustful**_ Lord _._ "

"Damn." That was all Zuko could manage, "Damn it."

"I think since I just won that bet, we'll be doing a lot of that over the next week among other things. But do not worry about it because I think that you will be getting a lotta pleasure out of this. Call it my way of helping the greater good."

"Fuck, that's the simplest word for that too. Dammit," Zuko was kicking himself behind that lousy lapse in his judgment.

"Looks like you're in trouble, haha," Sokka laughed as his devious mind came up with new ways to pleasure him. It was going to fun to see what he could and would come up with.

* * *

3 PM, Conference Room

"Welcome back, Milord," Hashi said gleefully from his normal seat in the Conference Room. "And Master Sokka, it's good to see you back in your most rightful place." Sokka was seated, lotus position, on the lowered platform to Zuko's right as usual. He, Sokka, nodded to Hashi, glad for the compliment, but wary of its intent. There was something about Hashi that was, well, to be frank not off-putting, that wasn't the word. It was just about Hashi that Sokka wasn't quite sure of. He had a loyalty to Zuko that seemed to go far above and beyond plain duty. The motivation of Hashi's service was far surpassed a mere sense of duty. (You'll find out why that is later.)

"So did anything happen while we were gone?" Zuko asked, "Any news from the colonies?"

"No, Sir," A nameless Sage answered.

"Any dispatches from Aang?"

"No, Sir," the same Sage answered, "Nothing as of yet."

"Nothing at all? Watch it all cascade in at the worst possible moment," Zuko remarked, acknowledging how unpredictable things are, "Hmm, well is there any news in particular about out efforts to negotiate with the Earth Kingdom Government?"

"Well..." the nameless Sage stopped and looked across the table at Hashi.

Hashi did the talking, "As of now, there's no real governmental machinery to speak of. The Earth King Himself is making all of the moves. With his, um, aggressions in the colonies, getting an envoy, meaning someone, anyone who is trained in diplomacy, has been nigh impossible. The only thing that is making things slightly easier for the Fire Nation's position is that Prince Iroh helped to return Ba Sing Se to Earth Kingdom control. My f-," Hashi paused, and stuttered a bit, "My _feelings_ are that his voice might be drowned out a bit, sort of diluted because he did that as part of a collective. The White Lotus as a whole is thought to have some sway with the Earth King. There are many more Earth Kingdom voices in that order, so I cannot say with any exactness what is going on with the Earth King's thoughts. We are not even quite sure what his rhetoric indicates. I cannot even tell you with certainty what he's being told."

"So, you mean to tell me that I can have no clue as to what he is thinking especially as he has been ordering troop movements."

"Yes," Hashi continues, "Unfortunately, we don't have any intelligence."

"You know, I think I am going to have to go to Ba Sing Se and talk to him myself. It sounds like he's out of his mind."

"A reigning Fire Lord going to visit Ba Sing Se?" Hashi asked, astonished enough to actually sit back into his chair, "That would be _unprecedented_."

"Well, not now, in the new year." Zuko proposed, "The colonial situation has to be dealt with and settled first. I can't touch that or they'll just yell 'imperialism'. Besides I am unprecedented in many ways; what's one more broken tradition? If I go to Ba Sing Se during my time on this throne, and given the fact that I do not have the intention of abdicating, being overthrown, or dying, there would be a good historical moment. The Nations coming together after 100 years of war. I would want it photographed."

"What, my Lord?

"Standing on the steps of the Earth Kingdom Palace shaking his hand." Zuko had a mental picture of it.

"But, My Lord, it has never, ever been done before." Hashi was visibly and audibly worried. "Fire Lords have never gone abroad while on the throne."

"You sound quite hesitant, uncharacteristically hesitant. What's concerning you?" Zuko replied, never having seen Hashi shaken.

"I am. I mean it's only… I don't know how to put this into words." Hashi struggled. "You've not even been on the throne for fifty, one hundred days yet. Here at home, I don't know how it would go. I am not by any means conservative, but that would even test the progressivism of even the most forward minded people."

"Politics," Zuko exhaled exasperated, "I'm supposed to be 'above' it". In that moment, Zuko acted out the very first recorded use of air quotes."

Sokka chimed in, "There are several other problems here. I don't know if Hashi see them the way I do, but here's how it looks to me. First and foremost, you don't have NO relationship with Him." Sokka used the double negative to add emphasis. "If there is any sort of relationship building, Aang would have to be the bridge and he's too busy right now. _And,"_ Sokka put a finger up to his lips in a pensive pose and when he started to speak again he used it for stressing things of import, "And Aang is busier than any of us know right now. Now there is a bit of political risk if, after the colonies are sorted out, Aang is seen as trying to build the bridge between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation."

"Political risks abroad, Master Sokka?" Hashi asked, intrigued and genuinely interested.

"More like perception issues. In the _Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes,_ places where I think we ought to also be concerned, they might view it in one of several ways. Firstly, it may look as if Aang is in the employ of the Fire Nation. In wanted only to start a relationship, others might view it as him working just for us here trying to get a good deal for the Fire Nation, you know like we 'bought him out'. Or, if I'm being honest, they may think that we're sort of, and please pardon the expression, 'pimping him out'. They might think we're taking advantage of him and using him. They might think he's just a naive kid and that we're exploiting his youth and inexperience."

Hashi was nodding in understanding, but was dismayed at how right Sokka was. The other Nations, especially the Earth Kingdom, had the Fire Nation by the throat against the wall. The Fire Nation had earned this precarious position and the knowledge of that fact only served to make him feel worse.

Sokka's thesis continued, looking up at Zuko, "OR, they might think that you're too scared Zuko, so you send out the 'little kid' to bite the bullet. Remember he's thirteen."

Zuko pouted, "So what do I do?"

"Express an (earnest) desire to talk to Kuei in the press." Sokka's eyes were wide with realization.

"What?" Zuko asked.

"Master Sokka," Hashi's voice was full of astonishment and awe as he put together what Sokka meant, "You are an absolute genius. I'm so glad you're on our side."

"Who's still lost?" Zuko asked in jest with a few Sages banging on the table in front with honest and bemused agreement.

"It's like…" Sokka started.

"Pai Sho." Hashi came up with just the right analogy, "You have to think six, seven, ten moves ahead. This is going to be a wa- a contest of who can be perceived to want peace more. If you are interested in negotiating peace. I know you are, but the world needs to know it. So if you start expressing it in the papers, they'll hear in Ba Sing Se loudly and clearly that you want peace. He'll look like a warmonger if he won't even talk to you. And that will make him look bad in front of his own people."

Sokka continued, "The only thing is that we have to pick the words you say carefully. You can't send too strong a message to the Earth Kingdom but you absolutely cannot appear to weak here at home. Do you understand what I mean Zuko?"

"I do." Zuko said nodding, "So basically I have to act and speak perfectly for an indefinite amount of time. Possibly, and most probably until I die"

"Yes." Sokka answered. "That would be accurate."

"So… that's diplomacy," Zuko said realizing that he was now going to be in a diplomatic dance.

* * *

9:30 PM, The Royal Bedchamber

"I dismissed all the servants from this part of the building just like you said, Sokka." Zuko said to Sokka as the latter lay on Zuko's spacious bed still completely clothed in a white undershirt, thin-materialed trousers but no shoes or socks. He looked at Zuko and didn't like his appearance. Too many clothes of course. Those robes needed to come off.

Zuko (because of his expression) looked meek and innocent in front of him. It was ironic considering that Zuko was anything but. The Fire Lord spoke again, "Since I lost that bet, and I am your slave, I suppose you want me to-"

"Don't suppose anything; just listen." Sokka said authoritatively.

Zuko's semi twitched. He blushed and bowed his head, liking the control Sokka decided to take.

"Now," Sokka said, dragging the word out, "As you readily admit, you made a bet and lost it pitifully and now I am your master for the next week. Every part of that sexy body is mine. I get to tease, lick, tickle, caress it all. Hmmm… I wondering what I'll do to you first."

Zuko was starting to tremble with excitement. His cock was now fully erect creating a sizable tent in under his robe. Sokka stood up and walked towards Zuko. Getting behind the Fire Lord, Sokka paced back and forth, almost circling like a vulture. Sokka stopped directly behind him and put his head on Zuko's shoulder. He turned his head and whispered into Zuko's ear.

"Zuko," Sokka's voice was thick with lust, "I love it when you squirm under me."

Sokka's hands started to travel. One hand started to crudely fondle Zuko's cock through the silk. The other was cupping one of Zuko's buttocks and giving it light squeezes.

Zuko shuddered and moaned lightly.

Sokka, taking a great amount of pleasure in the reaction continued to speak. "That's what this week is going to be about, Zuko. Getting you to squirm and moan at my touch is going to be my mission all week to have you shaking with pleasure.

"S-s-s-Sokka,"Zuko moaned.

"Sshh," Sokka whispered, as he started to unfasten the robes that Zuko had worn all day. The layers of silk all fell away after some trying, and Sokka still dressed inspected, his now unwrapped present. "Look at what we have here. Somebody's excited." Sokka proceeded to lick his right index finger and swipe it quickly over Zuko's leaking slit., collecting some precum on his finger. Sokka licked it off in Zuko's face. Zuko was starting to throb at the sight.

"That tastes good," Sokka remarked, " But this isn't about you, this is about me."

"Mmhmm," Zuko nodded, not knowing that he was about to get the worst news.

"All this afternoon, I was thinking about what I would do to you," Sokka sat on the edge of the bed and unfastened the trousers he was wearing, leaving the his undershirt on. "I finally came up with something. You are going to have to earn the right to cum every night the next week. You're not going to cum tonight unless you earn it, or tomorrow, or Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thursday, or Friday, but on Saturday, and that all depends on whether or not you're a good boy and if you know how to work for it."

"BUT-" Zuko wanted to protest. This wasn't fair.

"But nothing, Zuko," Sokka continued, "If you're a really, really good boy you might even earn something really special on Saturday. "If I catch you trying to jerk off without my permission. I'll have to punish you."

"Sokkie?" Zuko had taken to calling him that in the afterglow, not that he was experiencing that now. The mushy pillow talk that they had developed in such a short amount of time was embarrassing for either of them to think about. "I don't know if I could-"

"Zuko, don't make this any harder on yourself. If you work for it, you'll cum. If I'm not impressed it's blue balls for you." Sokka got up again and kicked the trousers elsewhere in the room. He walked to Zuko again and stood behind the Fire Lord, pressing his still underwear-covered crotch into Zuko's bare ass. He started grinding his Sokka reached around "I want this week to be about tension. I want you to earn the right to…" Sokka grabbed Zuko's cock and started stroking it. The Fire Lord was trying his hardest not to cum, and he didn't want to 'be punished' so he used those muscles that Sokka had read about and made sure not to ejaculate.

Sokka was putting Zuko through hell, but stopped, letting go of Zuko's part and completely detached himself. He walked over to the bed and sat on it, legs dangling off the bed, feet on the red carpeting. He finally removed his underwear and took off his shirt too. His boner was throbbing and leaking. Zuko looked over and licked his lips.

"Are you going to look or are you going to take advantage of your royal prerogative?"

Zuko almost ran over to the cock and knelt before it. He started with his usual playing, but Sokka wasn't having that, not tonight. He grabbed Zuko's head and forced it down onto his cock with an amount of force that shocked Zuko, but made him very horny at the same time.

Zuko's nose was being squished into Sokka's pubes. All the Fire Lord tasted and smelled was Sokka, his prince.

Sokka cock throbbed and twitched inside Zuko's warm mouth. He started to thrust his hips with the same strength and vigor that he used when he fuck Zuko. Sokka's toe curled as the head of his cock smashed into the back of Zuko's throat. Sokka moved his feet over to Zuko's cock and proceeded to use them to fondle the royal anatomy. Zuko had not gone soft. On the contrary Zuko was leaky and Sokka did not want to have to think up ways to 'punish' Zuko, so he withdrew his foot. Zuko moaned from the loss of contact, disappointed that he had not earned it yet. Zuko tried harder to please his lover by making his lips quiver around the base of Sokka's cock. The Water Tribesman liked that immensely and continued to thrash poor Zuko's throat. He was started to come to the edge, so he stopped and removed Zuko's head from off of him. Zuko wiped the corners of his mouth.

"I don't know, Zuko. That was kinda lackluster. I thought you would want to earn this, but… you don't seem into it. I mean if you don't want to cum tonight, that's totally up to you." Sokka sort of bent down and got onto Zuko's eye level, "DO you really want this?"

"Yes," Zuko was too horny to think straight. "I wanna cum. Please?"

Sokka grabbed Zuko by the chin, and playfully gave his reply, "No, not yet."

Sokka climbed into the bed and splayed himself out, his arms and legs spread like a starfish. HIs cock stuck straight up and Sokka had an idea. Zuko grabbed some lube off of the bedside table and got into the bed with his boyfriend.

Zuko took his place between Sokka's legs. "What do you want me to do?" The Fire Lord was desperate for release. He was a slave in this situation and he knew it. In fact, he loved it.

"Ride me." Sokka had inadvertently introduced a new sex position to the Fire Lord.

"Ride?" Zuko asked, "What do you me-" And then it occurred to him. Zuko's cock twitched at the image that he conjured up. He opened the bottle of lube and applied a copious amount of it to Sokka's dick. The application of the lube also served to perk Sokka's dick again. Zuko applied some to his eager hole too.

He went over to Sokka's cock and positioned himself over it. He decided to face Sokka. This was a new way of doing things, so Zuko went down gently. The change in angle meant that Zuko wasn't used to this insertion. He gritted his teeth as his ass was being stretched in a new way. Sokka's cock was so big that he thought he was going to be split down the middle. After a bit of trying Zuko had gotten the whole length inside him.

Zuko's dick made a satisfactory slapping noise when it made contact with Sokka's muscles. Sokka kept his eyes closed and moaned. Zuko was warmer and tighter here than he was their first time a couple of nights ago.

Zuko started to feel that same pleasure that only Sokka could give him and started to ride up and down the thick length. Zuko soon had a steady rhythm going and Sokka grabbed Zuko's hips and bounced the Fire Lord up and down. Zuko's prick went flying up and down to making rhythmic slaps on his lover's abdomen. They sped up as Sokka's used his hips to fill up the royal even more.

Soon they both knew that they were on the edge. 'Can I cum, Sokka?"

"Mmhmm." Sokka said, reaching forward and starting to stroke Zuko's hard cock.

Zuko started riding even harder as he felt the end coming.

"Fuck," they both moaned together as they came, Sokka inside his lover and Zuko all over his boyfriend's chest.

* * *

They lay in the bed; it was most certainly pillow talk time.

"Where did you learn to give head like that?" Sokka asked.

"I am naturally very talented." Zuko replied cheekily, snuggling up closer to Sokka.

"Sometimes, Zuko, I think that everything was leading up to this. You and me together. I never thought I'd be in love with a man, let alone the Fire Lord."

"I never thought I'd be in love with the Water Tribe Chief's son, but here we are in my bed covered in sweat."

"And that's the way it ought to be," Sokka said, "We're meant to be together and no one, and I mean NO ONE is going to divide us,"


	15. Two Missives

Monday, October 8th, 1900, 7 AM

Zuko's eyes shot open. The bed was empty and he was naked, alone. This it jarred him a little. He sat up, still covering himself in the bed sheets. Sokka was gone and he felt a little scared about it.

"Sokka?" Zuko called out into the room. Suddenly he heard something as if his ears switched on... It sounded like water running, like the shower was on. Zuko emerged from under the sheets and walked over to the bathroom. He cracked the door open and a bit of steam escaped giving him goosebumps as the warmth touched his nipples. He didn't want to be detected, so he closed the door behind him quickly and quietly. He looked and saw his lover standing under the showerhead.

Sokka was facing away from him, shampooing his hair. It was an open plan: the shower head was on the wall, but there were no walls obscuring Sokka's muscular body. The black non-slip floors in the room were on a slight slope, so the water ran to a small covered drain. Zuko went over to the sink quickly and brushed his teeth, which in 1900 was still quite a luxury. The toothpaste still left on Sokka's brush was proof that they would both taste mint when they made out.

He finished up freshening his mouth and waited until Sokka had finished on his hair. Zuko had one objective: To end this bet. He didn't mind the idea, but limiting his opportunity to cum to only once per day was not right. Having to wait until the evening when they usually woke up in each other's arms wasn't right.

When Sokka had thoroughly washed the shampoo out of his hair, he felt a pair of hands cover his eyes and another warm, muscular body behind his. They were touching, skin-to-skin. Sokka liked the feeling of his lover trying to surprise him. It was cute, romantic, and he craved those thing more than sex. Well, almost as much as he craved sex.

"Guess who it is," Zuko implored disguising his voice a bit.

Sokka played along, "Aang?"

"Nope," Zuko still disguised it.

"Oh," Sokka answered, "Maybe it's Haru." Sokka smiled wryly, o because Haru was not his type at all.

"Guess again, silly."

"Mmmm. I don't know. Is it Hashi?" Sokka really wanted to laugh, but held it in,

"What the fuck? How would you-" Jealous Zuko, fangs and all came out. For a second he saw red. If this lasted too long, a certain advisor would disappear, without a trace, never calling, never writing, never being thought of again.

"Calm down. It has to be my boyfriend, the Fire Lord." Sokka turned around and looked at his lover in the eyes.

"Why do you do that to me?" Zuko asked, his voice returning to it's usual mellow disposition.

"Because you're cute when you're all upset and red in the face," Sokka answered. "You should see the red blush on your face right now."

"Well, sorry, I'm jealous," Zuko said, inadvertently making his blush deeper, "It's just that I don't intend to share you. You are all mine, ALL MINE."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I only have eyes for my Fire Lord," Sokka answered.

"Sokka, I have a favor to ask-"

"No, Zuko, I won that bet fair and square," Sokka knew Zuko too well for that to work.

"How did you know?"

"I know you Zuko. I bet you wanna cum right now. You don't think it's fair, do you?"

"How are you in my head, Sokka?"

"Because, you're in my heart Zuko. You _are_ my heart" Sokka said, meaning each syllable. "I know what makes you tick."

"But Sokkie," Zuko went into puppy dog mode.

"But nothing, Zuzu," Sokka was the only person on earth who could call him that, "You lost that bet, and now you have to deal with the consequences. Besides, you said I was too lewd, and now I'm proving that I'm not." Sokka wasn't at all hurt by the comment Zuko had made, but he did take it as a challenge. He wanted to be more romantic, more demonstrative. He wanted to prove to himself that he deserved Zuko's love. He intended to do that.

"Sokk, you know I didn't mean that. I like you just the way you are. I love you just the way you are."

"I know you didn't, Zu, I do." Sokka commented, "I just want you, I want us, to take it slow I guess. I know we're gonna go steady, and I want to let that tension build. I want to get better at romance, and learn to sweep you off your feet."

"Oh," Zuko was touched (not like that) by the gesture, "You want to be romantic?"

"Yes," Sokka said, "I want to woo you, like really really woo you, then screw you."

"Oh?" Zuko liked this very much.

"And maybe teach you how to dance. Your people used to dance the most and now you have no rhythm." Sokka joked.

"You have a very good rhythm," Zuko said reaching up to kiss him. "In fact, I think you have the best rhythm.

They made out in the shower. It was steamy and passionate as Zuko's body heat made the water that was hitting his body turned into steam. Zuko was a furnace and Sokka was the fuel. Even better, Sokka could never be used up. They were naked together in the shower, using their tongues. This wasn't a battle for dominance. It was a pure expression of affection between these two men. Sokka and Zuko were complete equals in this display. There was no need to overpower the other because there was nothing animalistic about it. It was a truly human interaction. It was deeper than anything either of them could have imagined and the emotions that they shared, surpassed words or understanding.

This was the kind of love that people not only felt, but fell into. Zuko loved how tender Sokka was in his embrace. Sokka loved the heat that the Fire Lord made. He felt warm and enveloped in Zuko's love. He wanted to cancel the bet right then and put the romance stuff to the side. But not this time, Sokka was going to wait and earn it. Things had to go to plan, though.

* * *

9AM

"We've received a missive from the Avatar my Lord." Hashi had a scroll in his hand. "It came in about two minutes ago." He passed it up to the Sage on his left. That Sage and every successive Sage passed it closer. It came into Sokka's hands. He read the writing on the outside of the scroll.

"It's addressed to both of us." Sokka handed it up to Zuko. "Do you want to read it?"

"Well, here goes nothing." Zuko broke the seal and started to read it. He opened his mouth about to read it aloud, but stopped when he started to read some of the first lines. For the next few minutes, they all watched with great trepidation as Zuko's eyes scanned left to right, moving down the page. Zuko's face offered no indication of his reaction to the news he was reading.

He got to the end of the letter and took a deep breath. This only made all of the others more nervous.

"Gentlemen," Zuko started, "The Avatar has acted unilaterally to end the tensions that have been going on in the Colonies. He's reached a deal to have a referendum in each of the colonies separately to ask the question: 'Should this colony become independent of both the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation?' The answers would be: "yes, this colony should be independent, The answers would be: "yes, this colony should be independent," or 'No, this colony must remain within one of the two countries.' His premise for the question is this. The people in the colonies don't feel that they belong to either nation. So, the best way to end the tension between the nations and between the colonists and both Nations is to have this plebiscite. The colonies that vote yes with then come together as a separate nation. They would be a fifth nation, or a new fourth nation. The two southernmost colonies identify with the Fire Nation and would likely vote the latter. Any colony that votes to remain part of one of the nations would have a further referendum the next week asking which nation they wish to join."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Sokka pushed his hands out from his chest, as if shoving something away, "There's so many details to work out there. Who's going to make sure these polls are safe and that no one is intimidated. We can't have either side involved. Who's going to count the votes. Whose money-"

"Let me stop you right there. That's what the good news is."

"Good news?" Sokka and Hashi asked simultaneously.

"The Earth King has given Aang full charge of this whole thing."

"Sounds like he wants to put all the blame on Aang if this thing blows up," Sokka remarked bitterly, knowing that the war of weapons had been replaced with a slow burning conflict of politics. "Aang is a kid and Kuei is really going to do this to him. Unbelievable!"

"It's going to backfire on him," Zuko said, "Aang is coming back here. We'll have leeway, more flexibility with him. I mean, we are actually friends after all."

"Your Majesty," Hashi interrupted, "I still do not see how that helps us in real tangibles. I don't see how it sways it towards our side."

"We actually get to talk about the terms for the colonies that will vote to be independent. We get to deal with our priorities. We're the ones who are hands on and the Earth Kingdom can only carp from the sidelines. I mean we can suggest the date of these votes. We can start severing the ties from the colonies in way that benefits our side," Zuko explained.

"I see what you mean," Sokka added, "The Fire Nation will have more control in this very unstable situation. The more variables we can control, the easier this experiment will be. The less likely this country is to get the short end of the stick, to coin a phrase."

"Yes," Zuko answered.

"But the questions I ask still remain," Sokka asked, "If and when we hold this vote, who would act as an overseer? If and when any of the colonies leave the Fire Nation, what happens with the currency that the people in that territory use. If this new nation is formed, what kind of government will it have? Things like that are tricky. I don't think they want a king. So maybe they'll have a republic. Will it be a unitary state? Or several united states?

"This is what we can discuss with Aang. Again I cannot be seen to influencing this too much. I can't afford the Earth King thinking that all I want is a land grab."

"I still don't trust why he would leave this all to Aang. I mean, seriously, there's something off about this whole thing. He's letting go of most of his West Coast. Something's telling me that there's something sinister behind this." Sokka's intuition was sounding an alarm, but not telling him what it was specifically.

"Does he hate me enough to try and trick me?"

"Yes, and he has a problem at home. While the world thought Aang was dead, we traveled the Kingdom for some weeks. The newspapers and the rhetoric of the people was… It was," Sokka stuttered.

"It was what?" Zuko felt deeply uncomfortable.

"It was treasonous. Half the people we ran into hated him for being overthrown so easily. They thought of Him as weak. The other half were too busy fighting to care. The Earth King became a sort of ghost in the background."

"That's all the more reason for him to participate in the Colonial Question. Is it not?" Zuko asked, his logic making quite a bit of sense.

"Not if it falls apart. He can't marry himself to this issue, because if it fails, if it fails… he's done. He has more to lose if he ends up with a hostile new country on his border. We already know that the majority of colonials dislike him too. If he looks like he's strong arming, he will have a population in his own country who is ambivalent towards him, a country connected to him that loathes him, a Fire Nation that does not care. He has to stay out. Again, if it goes to hell, who does he blame? Aang. That takes brings him good publicity. Makes you look like a power-grabber. It gives him a reason to march into those colonies and 'take them back' It makes him popular, the only thing he has never achieved."

"Maybe Aang volunteered to take this over. I mean you are a shrewd politician, but I guess we'll see when he gets here. I hope that you're wrong."

"Hopefully." Sokka answered

"When is the Avatar going to arrive?" Hashi asked, having written down Sokka's theory. He hoped Sokka was wrong too.

"The letter says," Zuko looked back down at the paper, "The ninth."

"That's tomorrow," Sokka said, "Gosh, I want to see them again. There won't be any time for small talk though."

"We'll have to get down to busin-"

There was a frantic knocking at the door. An out of breath voice yelled from the outside, "My Lord, My Lord, I've come from, I've come from the Star Chamber. I have their findings , Sir."

Zuko's eyes widened. "For goodness' sake, let him in. Let him in! Open the door!"

The guards by the door opened it. The man came running in, still dressed in a Hyghe Judge's robe and wigge. The man, a tall, older gentleman of no distinctive look, genuflected before his sovereign. He move forward with great speed, another scroll in his hand. He bowed before Zuko again. Zuko reached his hand out and the man rose again and kissed his monarch's hand. Sokka looked over at the gesture, half creeped out, half jealous. Zuko reached out his left and the page gave him the scroll. Zuko squeezed it, nervous as to what the words would say.

"Everyone leave."

There was a murmur from the Sages.

"I said LEAVE!" Zuko shouted and the flames on the fire fountain behind him grew bigger and brighter as the Sages, getting the message, gathered up their papers and prepared to leave. Zuko waited for the whole lot to leave, Hashi, being the last one to leave peered back in one last time. Hashi felt a certain dread, the unease that came from great matters of intrigue.

The door was shut behind him,

Zuko and Sokka were alone. Zuko's hands were trembling as he held the scroll in his hand.

"Zuko," Sokka reached up and grabbed his arm, "Do you want me to read it?"

"Please," Zuko pleaded, his whole body, beginning to quiver rather violently in fright "I'm too scared. I feel like a little girl, too scared to read this, too scared to open it, to scared to move. I'm actually petrified. I could drop dead right now."

"You're not a little girl, because only a man, a real man would admit that he scared of this." Sokka rose sort of kneeling, and whispered into Zuko's ear, "I didn't fall in love with a little girl, Zuko. I fell in love with a man."

Zuko relaxed slightly and Sokka used that reprieve to grab the paper from Zuko's hand. He opened it, gave a cursory glance to the fancy calligraphy at the top, started reading it calmly, levelly, and slowly:

* * *

INCIDENT REPORT AND VERDICT BY HIS MAJESTY'S MOST LOYAL STAR CHAMBER, CERTIFIED, ISSUED and PUBLISHED ON THIS MONDAY, THE EIGHTH DAY of OCTOBER, ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED (MCM)

FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE, THE DULY EMPANELLED AND SWORN GRAND JURORS OF THE STAR CHAMBER, WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR SINCEREST SYMPATHIES TO THE FIRE LORD, AND TO THE RESPECTIVE FAMILIES OF LADY MAI AND LADY TY LEE FOR THE DEATHS AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THEM. ON AUGUST 15TH, LADY MAI AND LADY TYLEE WERE ASSAULTED, BATTERED, AND KILLED ON THE GROUNDS OF THE BOILING ROCK PENITENTIARY. THESE ASSAULTS RESULTED DIRECTLY IN THE DEATHS OF BOTH OF THE AFOREMENTIONED VICTIMS. WITHIN MINUTES, VARIOUS ACCOUNTS OF THE INCIDENT BEGAN CIRCULATING AMONG GUARDS AND INMATES AT THE PRISON. MANY OF THESE ACCOUNTS WERE FILLED WITH SPECULATION AND LITTLE, IF ANY SOLID, ACCURATE INFORMATION.

THE STAR CHAMBER, AT THE BEHEST OF THE FIRE LORD, CONDUCTED AN EXTENSIVE INVESTIGATION AT THE CRIME SCENE AND A PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE, AT TIMES UNDER VERY TRYING, AND STRANGE CIRCUMSTANCES. BEGINNING THE DAY OF THE CALL FOR THE INQUIRY AND CONTINUING FOR THE NEXT SIX WEEKS, ALONG WITH THE AGENTS OF THE CROWN PROSECUTION SERVICE AT THE DIRECTION OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, WE LOCATED NUMEROUS INDIVIDUALS AND GATHERED ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE AND INFORMATION.

GIVEN THE STATUS OF THE ALLEGED PERPETRATOR OF THE CRIME, THE INVESTIGATION AND REVIEW OF THESE TRAGIC DEATHS DONE BY LESSER INSTITUTIONS MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN FULL AND FAIR. WE DECIDED IMMEDIATELY AND UNANIMOUSLY THAT ALL OF THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE MUST BE GATHERED, ALL PEOPLE CLAIMING TO HAVE WITNESSED ANY PART OR ALL OF THE ASSAULTS AND ANY AND ALL OTHER RELATED MATTERS WOULD BE MADE TO TESTIFY AND GIVE EVIDENCE BEFORE US.

THIS STAR CHAMBER IS TWENTY MEMBERS OF THE HIGH NOBILITY WHO WERE EMPANELLED AND SWORN TO LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE WITHOUT PASSION. IT WAS ASSEMBLED MANY YEARS BEFORE THESE DEATHS OCCURRED.

WE WOULD LIKE TO BRIEFLY EXPAND UPON THE UNPRECEDENTED COOPERATION BETWEEN THE PRISON AUTHORITIES AND THE MEMBERS OF THIS INQUEST.

OUR INVESTIGATION FOLLOWED A TRAIL OF FACTS WITH NO PRECONCEIVED NOTION OF WHERE THAT JOURNEY WOULD TAKE US. OUR ONLY GOAL WAS THAT OUR INVESTIGATION WOULD BE THOROUGH AND COMPLETE TO GIVE ALL AVAILABLE EVIDENCE TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.

WE CONDUCTED OUR OWN EXAMINATION OF ALL THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AND ORDERED THE PERFORMANCE AN AUTOPSY ON THE REMAINS OF LADY MAI. ANOTHER POST-MORTEM WAS PERFORMED AT THE REQUEST OF THE FAMILY, AND ALL OF THIS INFORMATION WAS ALSO SHARED.

OUR INVESTIGATION AND EXPLORATION OF THE EVIDENCE TO THE STAR CHAMBER HAS NOW BEEN COMPLETED. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE ENCOUNTERED IN THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN THE PUBLIC'S NONSTOP INTRIGUE UPON THE NEWS THAT THE STAR CHAMBER HAD REASSEMBLED, AND ITS INSATIABLE APPETITE FOR SOMETHING, FOR ANYTHING TO TALK ABOUT. FOLLOWING CLOSELY BEHIND WERE THE NONSTOP RUMORS.

WE RECOGNIZE, OF COURSE, THAT THE LACK OF ACCURATE DETAIL SURROUNDING THE INVESTIGATION FRUSTRATES THE MEDIA AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND HELPS BREED SUSPICION AMONG THOSE ALREADY DISTRUSTFUL OF THE SYSTEM. YET THOSE CLOSELY GUARDED DETAILS, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, GAVE US AND ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES A YARDSTICK FOR MEASURING THE TRUTHFULNESS OF WITNESSES.

EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS MUST ALWAYS BE CHALLENGED AND COMPARED AGAINST THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. MANY WITNESSES TO THE KILLING OF LADY MAI AND LADY TY LEE MADE STATEMENTS INCONSISTENT WITH OTHER STATEMENTS THEY MADE AND ALSO CONFLICTING WITH THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. SOME WERE COMPLETELY REFUTED BY THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE.

SOME EVEN ADMITTED THAT THEY DID NOT WITNESS THE EVENT AT ALL, BUT MERELY REPEATED WHAT THEY HEARD IN THE CONFINES OF THE PRISON OR SAID WHAT THEY ASSUMED HAD HAPPENED. FORTUNATELY, FOR THE INTEGRITY OF OUR INVESTIGATION, ALMOST ALL INITIAL WITNESS INTERVIEWS INCLUDING THOSE OF VERIFIABLE EYEWITNESSES WERE REPORTED IMMEDIATELY UPON AZULA'S DEPARTURE FROM THE PRISON IN THE LATE EVENING OF AUGUST FIFTEENTH.

THE STATEMENTS AND TESTIMONY OF MOST OF THE WITNESSES WERE PRESENTED TO THE STAR CHAMBER BEFORE THE ANY DETAILS OR RESULTS WERE RELEASED CLANDESTINELY TO THE MEDIA OR TO THE POPULACE WITH GOSSIP.

WE, THE MEMBERS OF THE STAR CHAMBER, OR JURORS, THEREFORE, PRIOR TO THE INFORMATION GOING PUBLIC, WERE ABLE TO HAVE ALREADY ASSESSED THE CREDIBILITY OF THE WITNESSES INCLUDING THOSE WITNESSES WHOSE STATEMENTS AND TESTIMONY REMAINED CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT EVERY INTERVIEW AND WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE IN THIS CASE.

BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 15TH AND CONTINUING UNTIL TODAY, THE STAR CHAMBER WORKED TIRELESSLY TO EXAMINE AND REEXAMINE ALL OF THE TESTIMONY OF THE WITNESSES AND ALL OF THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. WE WERE EXTREMELY ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS, ASKING A MULTITUDE OF QUESTIONS OF EVERY WITNESS, REQUESTING SPECIFIC WITNESSES MULTIPLE TIMES, REQUESTING SPECIFIC INFORMATION AND ASKING FOR CERTAIN PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. AZULA WAS ALSO MOVED TO THE TOWER PRISON FOR EASIER ACCESS TO HER TESTIMONY. WE QUESTIONED HER A TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES TO COMPARE HER STORY WITH THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AND WITH HER PREVIOUS TESTIMONY.

WE MET ON 19 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN THE LAST MONTHS FOR NEARLY FIFTEEN HOURS EACH DAY, HEARD MORE THAN 70 HOURS OF TESTIMONY FROM ABOUT 60 WITNESSES AND REVIEWED THOUSANDS OF PAGES OF ENFORCEMENT INTERVIEWS BY MANY OF THE WITNESSES WHO TESTIFIED.

WE EXAMINED VARIOUS PIECES OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE AS WELL, WE WERE INSTRUCTED ON THE LAW BY THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT AND CONSIDERED FIVE INDICTMENTS RANGING FROM MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE TO INVOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER.

OUR BURDEN WAS TO DETERMINE, BASED UPON ALL OF THE EVIDENCE, IF PROBABLE CAUSE EXISTS TO BELIEVE THAT ANY CRIMES WERE COMMITTED AND THAT AZULA, CROWN PRINCESS IS THE PERSON WHO COMMITTED THOSE CRIMES. OUR NEXT DUTY WAS TO SEE IF ANY OF THOSE CRIMES WAS PROVEN BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT, IT QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT THAT THERE IS NO QUESTION, THAT AZULA CAUSED THE DEATH OF LADY MAI AND LADY TYLEE BY TARRING, AND SCOLDING THEM IN HOT WATER RESPECTIVELY. BUT THE INQUIRY DOES NOT END THERE.

THE LAW AUTHORIZES ALL PEOPLE TO USE DEADLY FORCE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS. SO, WE CONSIDERED WHETHER LADY MAI AND LADY TY LEE WERE THE INITIAL AGGRESSORS IN THIS CASE OR NOT. WE ALSO HAD TO CONSIDER IF AZULA COULD HAVE DEEMED THAT SHE HAD A REASONABLE FEAR OF DEATH OR GRIEVOUS INJURY ACTED IN SELF-DEFENSE.

WE DETAIL THIS FOR TWO REASONS. FIRST, SO THAT EVERYONE WILL KNOW THAT, AS PROMISED BY OUR OATHS, THERE WAS A FULL INVESTIGATION AND PRESENTATION OF ALL EVIDENCE AND APPROPRIATE CONSIDERATION OF THE LAW OF THE FIRE NATION. SECOND, AS A CAUTION TO THOSE IN AND OUT OF THE MEDIA WHO WILL POUNCE ON A SINGLE SENTENCE OR A SINGLE WITNESS AND DECIDE WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN THIS CASE BASED ON THAT TINY BIT OF INFORMATION.

THE DUTY OF THE STAR CHAMBER IS TO SEPARATE FACT FROM FICTION. AFTER A FULL, IMPARTIAL, AND CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF ALL THE EVIDENCE IN THE LAW AND DECIDE IF THAT EVIDENCE SUPPORTED THE FILING OF ANY CRIMINAL CHARGES WE ACCEPTED AND COMPLETED THIS MONUMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY IN A CONSCIENTIOUS AND EXPEDITIOUS MANNER.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE AND SAY AGAIN THAT WE ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE, _THE ONLY PEOPLE_ WHO HAVE HEARD AND EXAMINED EVERY WITNESS AND EVERY PIECE OF EVIDENCE. WE DISCUSSED AND DEBATED THE EVIDENCE AMONG OURSELVES BEFORE ARRIVING AT A COLLECTIVE, UNANIMOUS DECISION. AFTER AN EXHAUSTIVE REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE, WE DELIBERATED OVER TWO DAYS, MAKING OUR FINAL DECISION.

WE DETERMINED THAT PROBABLE CAUSE **DOES EXIST** TO ACCUSE AZULA OF A CRIME, AND THAT OFFENSE, BASED ON A TRUE EXAMINATION OF THE LAW, WAS **MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE.** FURTHERMORE, WE CONSIDERED THE EVIDENCE AND WERE UNANIMOUSLY CONVINCED BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT THAT AZULA **IS GUILTY OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER.**

THE PHYSICAL AND SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE EXAMINED BY US, COMBINED WITH THE WITNESS' STATEMENTS, SUPPORTED AND SUBSTANTIATED BY THAT PHYSICAL EVIDENCE TELLS THE ACCURATE AND TRAGIC STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED.

A VERY GENERAL SYNOPSIS OF THE TESTIMONY AND THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO THE STAR CHAMBER FOLLOWS-

* * *

Zuko interrupted, "I wanted their opinion as to what the punishment should be. I knew, you knew, everyone with sense know that Azula's guilty. She premeditated it and did it herself, and with the help of that other little coward. What happened to him?"

Sokka read further, "He's been executed; he went through a common trial."

"Justice so easily given to a commoner, so quickly meted out to him, but not to her. Hmm," Zuko was exasperated.

"You're not saying that you want her dead?" Sokka asked, ripping his eyes away from the page, "Do you?"

"Yes-, No, I, I can't be the one to say it. I would have to act under advice for it to seem that I was doing the right thing." Zuko said the fire behind him growing hotter again, as his frustration became clear, "If I kill her, I'm some sort of usurper taking the throne from the one whom my father actually wanted to rule. If I let her live, I would be letting her get away with a crime so bad that the other who was involved was convicted and executed "

"But she'll have to live with the guilt," Sokka argued.

"She's Azula; she's not capable of feeling guilt."

"Right," Sokka conceded the point. "It boils down to her being crazy. She's a sick, sick girl and I don't know."

Zuko was confronted with a moral issue, "She is very unwell. She has slipped off her perch and I don't think it's possible to get her right again. I don't even think that she was ever right. But that raises a question: Is making her live forever with her destroyed mental state punishment? Is it too merciful to kill her? Or is making her live with this severely unwell mental state… is that torture? If it is torture, is that ever justified? Is Azula especially deserving of torture. Or is killing her the best so that she can't manipulate and destroy any more lives? "

"How could she do that?" Sokka asked.

"I've looked into the face of evil, Sokka. So long as she can still talk, she can manipulate, twist, and distort everything. Anyone who talks to her falls into a spell. The only ones who saw through it were Mom and me. Azula always lies, Sokka, and I don't think it would be right to let her live and basically torture the guards who are taking care of her."

"This is-"

"...being the Fire Lord," Zuko finished the thought, "This is what it means to be the Fire Lord. At least I have some consolation, something that makes it worthwhile."

"What's that?" Sokka asked.

"You. Dummy," Zuko chuckled a bit, "I have you."

"Oh," Sokka said, blushing at his temporary denseness "I'm so happy to be with you too."

"Thank you for being here." Zuko said, "I have a plan," he said, getting up. "I know what I am going to do." He walked to the door and opened it.

Sokka did not hear what was said next. Zuko turned around and made his way back to the throne. All of his Sages came back in and so did the Page who handed him the letter. HE waited until they were all seated. The guards shut the doors and the room was consumed with deafening silence. No one, not even Sokka, knew what was coming next.

"Come here," Zuko said to the Page. The page approached and stood in front of his sovereign. Zuko seat was high up on the platform, in fact, the page was eye level with Zuko's feet.

"I asked you," Zuko said to the Page from the Star Chamber, his teeth being gritted to dust, "I asked you, I asked the Star Chamber to recommend a punishment. I knew, and anyone with some sense knew that my sister is guilty. I didn't have you assemble to tell me an obvious fact. Where is the answer to the question I asked you?"

"My Lord," The page kowtowed.

"Get up," Zuko commanded, "Look me in the eye, and answer the question."

"We," the page stood up, "We did not think it was our scope to tell you what to do in this matter. It never occurred to us that is was our job to instruc-"

"I asked for your advice!" Zuko growled, "I asked you if what Azula did was worthy of capital punishment and all you do is tell me what I already know. You reiterate all the minutiae of the most traumatic thing I've experienced and then all I get is some lofty, empty words about how meticulous and expeditious you were. You didn't ANSWER my question. Why? Why didn't you answer my question?!"

"Your Majesty, we wanted to give you the information of the case so that you could make your ultimate decision."

"But how can I decide, if you won't advise me?!" Zuko's frustration was evident by the grimace grimace on his face and the orange, almost white fire behind him.

"We, we, we will support you with whatever decision you make." The frightened man was sweating under that wig. In the old days, he could have had his head chopped off for this. Hell, Ozai would have relieved him of his head.

"What a waste of time!" Zuko was livid. Sokka was concerned, but kept his mouth shut. He could not react in this moment, lest their secret be revealed. "Cowardice, absolute cowardice."

"We never meant to upset-"

"You know what...I know what you meant… You meant to dodge the issue. You wanted to keep your hands clean."

"We meant to-"

"Just, GET OUT, GET OUT OF HERE!"

"Your Maj-" The page squirmed, hating the fact that the Fire Lord was truly angry and downright disgusted with him.

" **LEAVE!** " Zuko ordered, shouting, but still somehow commanding control of the entire room, possibly from the high flames that shot up behind him

The page bowed again, feeling deeply upset that the Fire Lord was disappointed and angry. In every respect he failed at his job, the Star Chamber failed, and he knew it. He left and Zuko waited for him to completely vacate the room.

"You've all been brought up to speed about this, I assume." Zuko said, a bit calmer, but still visibly agitated,

A cacophony of affirmative answers followed.

"Well then, since I could not get a real answer from them, I'll try it with you. My sister is a murderer and she killed two innocent people. Should I kill her or should I let her rot?"

The entire room squirmed like a mass of worms. Ozai had never presented them with a question that was a moral issue. Everything was done in the heat of battle, not in the cool of this so-called peace. It was too real to them. Their Fire Lord was asking advice as to whether or not he should execute his own sister. It was medieval, like something they would have had to ponder in 1200, not 1900. But there they were afraid, naked and afraid. Each of them wondered what Zuko wanted to hear. They wanted to tread lightly. Until then, they thought he was a weak, timid little boy. They forgot whose son he was. They had long forgotten whose grandson he was.

There was a type of belligerence in him, it was innate. He had not learned this from his father, but it lit and fueled his inner flame. The posture Zuko put forward was a reminder to them that the Fire Lord could not be stepped on. Zuko was going to get what he wanted whatever the case. This deep discomfort that he just gave them made him all the more scary to defy.

"Hmm, nothing?" Zuko asked, his flames truly sucking the oxygen of the room, "Hashi?"

Hashi made a noise that could best be described as a cough-squeak. "I, I uh think that, um," Hashi was racking his brains for something to say. "So long as, so long as, uhh, so long as Azula remains the focus of so much attention, she will be the object of affection for those who want you to be deposed. She is the tangible thing that makes overthrowing you more real to them."

"Are there many who want me to be deposed?" Zuko had a great amount of trepidation at this, but no one could see it. Only Sokka could tell. If you asked him how he'd probably just say, "I know my Zuko."

Hashi continued, "There has been chatter, nothing specific, but among a small fringe of people we have intelligence. We have been reason to believe that are some people are upset enough about the resolution of the war to... "

"To what?"  
"To want Azula on the throne instead of you, Sir." Hashi said.

"So, you're saying that she is the focus of my enemies."

"Yes. By ordering her execution you might inflame them, by allowing her to remain as she is now you give them an object onto which they attach all of their love, affection, and hope. I would not be wise to keep her around, but it would not be wise to make her, um, destruction so public."

"What do you think I should do?" Zuko's voice was stern, "All of you, I'm asking all of you."

Hashi put forward his case, "Sir, whatever you do make sure she's out of sight. Out of sight is out of mind, so take care of it quietly. Please for the sake of your throne, for the sake of the nation, you have to be very careful in how you address her fate."

A cacophony of agreement again.

"I know what I have to do since no one will give me an answer." Zuko got up, the Sages and Sokka all got up and listened to him, "I will see her. I will speak to her. There are some things to ask of her and some things to tell her." He was cryptic.

He made his way to the exit into his wings of the palace. Sokka followed dutifully behind.

The Sages in the room were all confounded. Never were they unable to give an answer, and never were they so uncertain.

* * *

The doors shut behind Sokka and Zuko as they made through to the royal wing of the palace. They went into the royal sitting room and shut the doors behind him. Sokka sat down on one of the red sofas next to the mahogany end tables. Sokka grabbed the telephone, not the direct line, but the line that went to the switchboard.

A female receptionist answered, "Yes, may I help you?"

"Yes," Sokka answered, "Can we some tea, cake, and ice cream to the royal sitting room."

"Yes, Sir."

"Thank you." Sokka hung up after that.

He turned around and saw that Zuko was nowhere to be found. He could have sworn that Zuko was still in the room. "Where'd you go?"

"I'm in here." Zuko was in his bedroom, "I'll be out in a second."

As said, Zuko was out of his bedroom soon thereafter. His hands were damp and he had a hand towel. He was drying them off.

"Hmm?" Sokka grunted.

"Wanted that guy's spit of my hands."

"Oh," Sokka remembered, "Well, after what I just witnessed, I had forgotten that. I ordered us some tea, some cake and ice cream to calm you down. I don't like it when you're angry."

Zuko sat down beside Sokka and leaned into him, resting his head on Sokka's chest. Sokka wrapped his arms around Zuko"I'm sorry, but I'd been dreading this thing for weeks. It was gnawing at me. This thing had been in the back of my mind. I've been losing sleep over it. At least I was until I had someone to cuddle with, but anyway, I wanted an answer. I wanted, needed something definitive. I didn't want a missive. I just wanted an honest opinion as to what the best course of action should be. They could have answered my question with a single sentence. 'Yes, having looked at the evidence, we think it would be right to execute Azula,' or 'No, you shouldn't'."

"I know."

Zuko took a deep breath, "So, I have to speak to her and make the decision myself."

"Are you sure?" Sokka asked.

"I-" There was a knock on the door. The both of them sat up and disentangled. Zuko got up and moved to the seat, a comfortable crimson chair. Zuko spoke again, "Who is it?" He called out.

"It's the tea, pastries, and ice cream Your Majesty." The voice behind the door responded.

"Come in."

The door opened and a full service tray complete with tea, pastries, and ice cream came forward. Two maids also walked in.

"Ladies," Zuko started, "do you mind if we serve ourselves?" Zuko got up and walked towards them.

"Well, of course, Your Majesty." The older of the two ladies answered. They curtsied when he came close to them

"It's only that we have a very important matter of state to discuss and we don't want you to be too burdened thinking about it. You know what?" Zuko looked over to the big grandfather clock on the wall opposite him. "Why don't you two take the rest of the day off and relax a little?"

"Why thank you, Your Majesty." The younger of the two spoke this time.

"When we're done with this, we'll wheel this out into the corridor. Alright," Zuko reached for the doors and opened it. "Thank you so much," Zuko said.

The maids curtsied again and took their leave. Zuko shut the door, and pressed his ear to it out of curiosity.

"He's such a gentleman," he heard the younger maid say, sounding very excited.

"Yes, much nicer than his father. Took after his mother, he did." Answered the older one, ditching the polished accent she had when she spoke to him.

* * *

They were snuggled up together again after some cake and ice cream.

"So when are you going to go?" Sokka asked.

"Tomorrow."

"But that's when they're going to-"

"Yes, I was going to ask you to greet them alone, if I'm not back yet. I know won't be long." Zuko said trying to reassure him.

"Don't let her get to you," Sokka said.

"I've figured out how to get through her."

"How"

"Azula always lies." I remember that fact. When you that you're talking to a liar, nothing messes with you based on what they say."

"Well, I'll never lie to you. I don't think I could if I tried."

"I won't either, there's nothing to lie about. It's like you know all my tells anyway. Besides, we already share so many secrets." Zuko said. "But there's no need to go over those now. Too much to do and think about."

"With all this going on, Zuko, all bets are off." Sokka said.

"Definitely."

"Zuko, you don't understand me," Sokka wanted to drop hints and be subtle about it, "All _bets_ are _off_."

"What?"

" _All bets_ , including one that might involve _us_ , are off," Sokka reiterated.

"I don't know what y-" Zuko paused and his eyes opened, "Oh, I'm off the hook, I can just fuck you when I want again?"

"If you want to put it like that, sure. I just don't want anything with our relationship to mess with your work."

"Sounds backwards."

"I think we're too into each other to let anything come between us. We're so into each other that we'll distract away from duty. I didn't want you thinking about me when you need to make big decisions." Sokka said.

"I kind of think about you when I-"

"...when you shouldn't. I can't distract you Zuko. That bet was just me putting more pressure on you. I shouldn't have done that. I mean it was selfish."

"Well, if you want to relieve some pressure," Zuko suggested feigning innocence, "I think that I might need to burst later."

"I'll make it up to you whenever you're ready."

"Sokka, can you just promise me something?"

"Yeah?"

"Promise me that we won't drift apart."

"I promise."

"I do too."

They sat in silence, enjoying the peace between them.


	16. A Strange Interrogation

Tuesday, October 9th, 1900, Tower Prison, 6 AM

Zuko removed his hood. The room was dark enough, only being lit by single electric light bulb He was in one of those special rooms that only had on cell. The bars divided the room with the cell getting about two thirds if the area. The other third of the room was bare except for a plain wooden chair. Zuko took that chair and moved it closer to the bars. He was trying to get a good look at her. He wanted to see what his sister had become. He sat down and looked into cell, examining the black walls. The lightbulb was behind Zuko on the 'free' side of the room. The light cast a long shadow into cell,but he could make her out. She was laying on her side, on the cot, which was flush onto the far wall. She was facing the wall, looking away from him. The sun was starting to rise, casting a dull red light into the black room. She was wearing all black. It resembled the uniforms that she wore during the War.

"Hello, Zuzu," Azula said coldly, sensing his presence, her eyes wide open, staring at the wall, "It's so good to have the crown prince visiting me in my lowly cell. You want to give me a bit of respite from my destitution and desolation." She was already trying to get under his skin with the 'crown prince' comment. Or was she? Did she seriously believe that?

"I am the Fire Lord, Azula." Zuko said calmly. He was emotionless, the same way Aang was with Koh, the Face Stealer.

"Ha," Azula made a sound that was a shadow of a laugh, "Our father is the Fire Lord Zuko. Ozai who married Ursa, you know, our mother"

"Our father's dead, Azula. And so is our mother."

"It's treason to speak about the Fire Lord's death, Zuzu. And as for our mother, she loved you and only tolerated my existence. Even you should know that bonehead."

"Our father is dead and I am the Fire Lord. Do you really think our father would lock you up?"

"Who said you could come into my bedroom anyway?" Azula was really far from being coherent. "Get out, you have to knock when you come in Zuzu. Did you learn any manners?"

"I have some questions that I want to ask you. And I advise you to be very careful. Your life, your destiny, your fate depend very much on the answers you give me. I hope you understand that." Zuko was not ignoring her incomprehensibility, but he needed to figure out if it was real. Something in his gut was making him believe it was, but Azula was a mistress of calculation. She knew that the Star Chamber would find her guilty. She knew that Zuko wasn't so much of a bitch as to let her get off free. She knew that she was in a precarious position and that holding her tongue might just save her head. Well, she would know these things if she was still sane.

"Ask away, dearest brother. I'm quite the captive audience."

"How are you?"

"What do you mean how am I?"

"I mean, are they treating you right? Are you warm at night? Are you being fed well? I'm asking after your general condition, as any caring older brother should."

"Oh, you care?"

"I do." That was the truth. "I actually do. I am responsible for you. Both of our parents are dead. And my sister is unwell." Zuko's voice was almost a drone. No emotions to glean from him, "I've come, at least in part, to see how you're faring."

"What if I said that they were abusing me?"Azula asked, trying to be slick.

"You haven't, so they aren't."

She grimaced. "But what if I said they were?" She posed the query again.

"Than I would take appropriate action."

"And what would that be?"

"If I were to tell you, you would be privy to more information than it is fit for you to know. If I were not to tell you anything, I would be withholding information that it _is_ right for you to know."

"So?"

"So I will tell you…"

"What?"

"I will tell you that I will take appropriate action." Zuko answered.

"And what if they are not abusing me? What if they were treating me like… treating me like a princess?"

"I would take appropriate action."

"What?"

"I may act or not act as I see fit. Being Fire Lord permits me a great deal of discretion, Azula."

"You'll be Fire Lord the day when people can walk on water."

Just then, Zuko remembered Aang and Katara using their waterbending to do that in particular. "So, I come back to the original question. How are you?"

"What?" She sounded off, but he could never remember seeing anyone asking after her, except their mother. He cannot remember any man truly being concerned about her. Their father did not demonstrate emotion, he only expressed praise when she did something that pleased him. Not that he thought about it, Azula took after the cold, austere psychopathy that his father showed. She just added her own twist to it. She never gave affection or concern for anyone. In turn, she did not know how to receive it or take it in.

"Okay, I'll ask more simply. Are they feeding you?"

"No comment." She answered, trying her damnedest to mess with him, Not that it was working in the slightest. Actually that answered steeled his resolve to seek the truth from the infamous and expert liar.

"Are they giving you enough water to drink?"

"No comment."

"Are you being given adequate clothing?"

"Are you receiving adequate opportunities to exercise?"

"Not telling."

"Has anyone been abusing you physically?"

"What do you care?" She asked.

"I have already declared unequivocally what my interest is. You can say yes, no, or plead ignorance. Are you being physically abused?"

"I'll plead ignorance."

"Are you being emotionally or mentally victimized?" He asked again, his voice level, flat, and boring.

"You mean besides right now?"

"Yes." He said, not letting her provoke any emotion from him.

"No comment?"

He switched up on her, "What year is it, Azula?"

Azula paused. Zuko couldn't see it but her eyes were darting for a response. She didn't know whether to lie or to tell the truth, "What kind of question-"

"It's a simple one. What year is it? Or do you have no comment for that simple question either?"

"1776." Azula blurted out. "It's 1776."

"Is it really?" Zuko's tone was flat, which made Azula quite angry. She didn't want to turn around, but she needed to see his face. She needed to see if the manipulation was working. His voice gave no sign.

"Yes, Zuko it is. This is the year our great-grandfather took the throne," Azula answered, "Is it not a magnificent achievement for the Fire Nation. In only a couple of decades he would start the righteous conquest of the Earth!"

"If our father, or our grandfather weren't born the year Sozin took the throne, how are we here?" Zuko asked flatly. "You know better than that, Azula. You know better and so do I."

"Okay, fine, Zuko. If you want to pass yourself off as some sort of inquisitor, it's 1900." Azula admitted. She nodded to herself strangely, "Yeah, 1900."

"So, you are with me in the present. Very good, Azula." Zuko's plan was starting to work.

"What month is it, Azula?"

She flipped over and looked towards Zuko, "What are you doing, Zuko?" Azula asked, "What are you playing at?"

"I'm not playing at anything. I'm just having a pleasant chat with my little sister. I came to see how she was. She's apparently well, and now I'm having a talk with her. I hope you don't mind." Zuko was so emotionless that he looked bored, tired almost. "And this is a lot of fun, and I'm enjoying myself."

"You think I don't know what you're doing? Huh," Azula stood up and walked towards the bars. He saw then, in the increasing light in the room that her hair was matted, and her clothes were soiled. She smelled like she had given up bathing. This was something of note, but he did not let his receipt of that observation show. "You think I don't remember the Star Chamber coming in here and interrogating me?"

"I don't think anything," Zuko answered, "No, I tell a lie. I think you don't know what month it is."

"We are both firebending masters Zuzu." She mocked, "You, me, the both of us know the date, based on how the sun moves across the sky, how it dances from east to west."

"So what's today's date? Don't you know? Or have you slipped?" He jibed without sneering. He pricked her calmly, coolly. She couldn't fucking stand it. "Or maybe the better question is- How far have you slipped?"

"I see what you're trying to do. You're trying to be like that bitch Mai. You're trying to act all emotionless and sophisticated. But look at how that turned out, she's dead, and the two of us are alive. It's you and me, Zuzu. I know you. I know what you are. You're nothing but a little boy who's afraid of fire. A bitch who's afraid to win, ashamed of being a citizen of this great Fire Nation. You're ashamed of of heritage, our history, our blood, our ability to bend, to burn. You hate us, you hate yourself, you hate everything about our identity. You're seething underneath that fake austerity, this false unflappability. And it stinks, Zuko. It's nothing but an act, you're not cool, calm, and collected, you're not. You're nothing but a phony. A liar, and a damn hypocrite. You should be ashamed."

Diatribe done.

The Fire Lord clapped slowly, mockingly, loudly. The sound reverberated uncomfortably throughout the room. "That was an absolutely fantastic performance. You should get an award. If anyone knows about acting, it is you, Azula."

"Whatever, Zuko." Notice it wasn't Zuzu anymore. It didn't bother him, so she abandoned it. She would probably try it again later. "I see right through you, like the nothing you are."

"Likewise." Zuko said, no need to think of anything to say back.

"Oh, no clever quip, brother? Where's the wit? There you are sitting there blankly, probably gaping, struggling with that lame brain of yours for a reply."

"What's today's date?" Zuko returned to the question.

"October the eighth." She blurted out. She never used to have outbursts like that, " _What's he doing to me?"_ She asked herself inside. " _What does he want?"_

"Close enough. You're a little sloppy, but we nobody can be perfect all of the time, not even you."

"You're a phony Zuko. I can see right through this. You're a terrible actor"

"You've said that already. Did you forget that you said it?"

"No," She shook her head again squeezing her eyes shut, gritting her teeth, "I'm saying it again. I'll tell you what a weak little Fire Lord you really are!"

"So, I am the Fire Lord?" Zuko asked her.

She twitched a little. She was caught. "The Fire Lord reigning you will be when-" She couldn't even splice the words together in the right order.

"The mask already slipped, Azula." Zuko replied, "And that's fine, even the best actresses slip up."

"And you've glued yours quite firmly onto your ugly, scarred face. I hope no one gets angry with you for talking out of turn and burns it." She tried to go after him, get down into his souls, using the most physically painful day of his life.

"I am glad that you are so concerned with my well being. Mind you, I think you shoehorned it in just a bit."

"You weren't strong that day," that's the non sequitur shit she came up with. She thought she was getting some ground on him. The mental gymnastics was going to go on for a while, and she felt that she was ready. "What a great day it was, your screams filled me with great delight. Great satisfaction. The first time I ever was so gratified."

"That is good to know, and it has been noted."

"I bet you're crying inside, Zuko. Father loved me more than he ever loved you-"

"So, Ozai _is_ dead?" Zuko asked, his strategy was working. "Just a few moments ago, you said that he was alive and well, sitting on the throne. It can't be both, Azula. You know that."

"Our father is not dead, the dream lives on," She was grasping for a reply, and they both knew it. "The Fire Nation will be all and end all. The dream is alive and well with me."

"But the man has been picked apart by scavengers." Zuko stated. "You're the one who's acting, Azula. You're still just as clever and cunning as ever. You know very well what's going on."

"And what if I do, Zuko? Huh? I have all the power." Azula started to scream, "I HAVE ALL THE POWER!"

"I think that you're on the wrong side of the bars to have _all_ the power," Zuko brought them back to reality, "Let's come back down to earth. I know and you know that you're in control of your own thoughts and actions. You may have tricked the Star Chamber, but you can't fool me."

"Do you feel smart?" She asked. "Feel like a real detective? I bet you think yourself the cleverer of us."

"I've gotten a fact straightened out that I needed to." He answered. He just proved that she wasn't practically insane. That is to say, she was aware of where and what and who she was. Azula was self aware and therefore could understand, truly comprehend being condemned to death or spared. And now to figure out is she knew what she was doing when she killed them. Did she know it was wrong?"

"Well, good for you." She said.

"Why'd you kill Mai?" He asked outright. Still completely frigid, devoid of expression.

She turned her lip up and shouted, "Because she disobeyed me!" She took a deep breath, "She betrayed ME! Me, how could anyone betray me?" Azula walked up to the bars and grabbed them firmly in her hands. Her knuckles went white.

"You're an articulate young lady, I'm sure that you could say more than that."

"I don't want to hurt your feelings," She smiled that manipulative smile, that fucking smirk of doom. "I really, really don't, big brother. I don't want to burn your delicate feelings."

"Try me."

"She said that," Azula started pacing back and forth, "She said that she loved you more than she feared me, and I knew right then, right then, she had to die. What a weak bitch! Weak, feeble. The weak, those who submit themselves to those little, vain emotions: love, lust, empathy, hope, faith, they must be killed. I was culling the herd, big brother. The strong must take out the weak. The weak must make way for the ones who have the divine right to rule the world."

"The man who did it for you, you know, the tarring and the scolding. Is he strong?" He needed to see her reaction.

"Yes," She answered with a strange, gleeful smile on her face.

"Well he's dead." He said plainlu

"When?" She looked a bit panicked, "WHEN?"

"Last week, Wednesday, I think. Tarred, hung, drawn, and quartered. Tried, convicted, sentenced, like any criminal." Zuko puffed out a couple of smoke rings using his firebending.

"He is a martyr and an artist. One of the heroes of the revolution to take Fire Nation into our destiny."

"Likely to be forgotten, even by me." The Fire Lord was persistent in her degradation, "How did you feel when she was tarred, Azula?"

"I thought that it was fantastic. I thought that it was beautiful, marvelous, wonderful. I got the greatest sense of satisfaction from their screams," She repeated the same line, and it rung in his ears as nasty, harrowing truth. Using his reserves of peace, he kept a straight face as she continued to talk, or spew "I knew that she wouldn't die right then, but those screams were wonderful Zuko. The smell of her flesh being fried by that hot tar. The looks of horror on all their faces. Mai's uncle, the warden crying like the little weak bitch he is." She went up to the bars again and pressed her face into a gap between them to get closer to Zuko. "I had never been so hot and wet in my life, Zuzu." Azula started grinding her hips.

Zuko's face remained disinterested, but he spoke, "The man who did it, the man who actually poured the tar, you took him with you?"

"Yes, Zuzu, we went back to the airship and I congratulated him on his victory, _our_ victory against treachery. And I, we, the two of us, celebrated in best way two adults can."

"Tell me what you did?"

She sort of swooned and sat back down on the bed, still looking at her brother. She started to rock back and forth and rubbing her legs. Her hands started to drift towards her crotch, but stayed outside of her trousers (for now). She was in ecstasy as she spoke of the details. "He grabbed me, he was strong, a real man, like father." She took a breath through gritted teeth.

"In his testimony, during his trial, he said he spoke to you. He said hissed at you." Zuko's eyes were open attentive, but cold, "What did he say?"

"He said." She started to move her hand towards the hem of her pants, and she gulped a bit, "He said, 'I can smell your cunt.'"

"I see. I, myself, would not want to. So, what happened next?"

"I pressed my face to his, and he dominated my mouth, like a real man, like father. I reached down and I felt the warmth in his pants. He had quite a length, and _quite_ a girth, Zuzu. He reached his hands into my uniform. One hand went and played with my breasts. The other reached down and started to use his skillful fingers." She stopped her story and stopped reaching into her pants, "I know you're aroused Zuko. I know you want to know more. I see the bulge under those robes."

She did not know how far from the truth she was. It was not particularly cold in the room, but if you could see his lower half, it looked as if he was naked at the North Pole in January.

She didn't wait for a response before she continued, "We went up into my quarters and he made, mad, passionate, animalistic love to me. He had a talented tongue too, brother. I came so hard, that I get wet thinking about it," By this point she was out and out playing with herself in front of him. Her hands were underneath her pants but it was apparent to the Fire Lord knew what he was looking at. She continued, starting to moan and curse in whispers, before quivering, with her eyes closed. She let out almost a manly grunt before bringing her hands back into visibility. She wiped her moist hand on the side of those black pants unceremoniously. She open her eyes again, and was greeted by the same tired face that had been interrogating her.

It fucking drove her crazy that he was unflinching and peaceful about these thing. Maybe he had made his peace with all of the facts. He wasn't devastated or disgusted and it made her… it made her… afraid.

In that moment she finally understood what 'afraid' meant. It was the first time she had been faced with the consequences, and what did she just do? She just came thinking about murdering the girl her brother, the Fire Lord. She was deep in now. And she knew it. Her eyes darted back and forth a couple of times, while she thought about what she was going to do to dig herself out of this one.

"What kind of sedative are you on, Zuko?"

"Nothing, I came here to observe and have some of my questions answered."

"Surely you didn't need me to tell you what year, or month, or day, or time it is. You've come here for something else."

"I did come to have some questions answered, after the Star Chamber already answered some for me."

"Star Chamber?"

"Well, from what they were able to understand from the evidence and testimony of all of the witnesses, including yourself, they were able to accuse you of a crime and prove that you committed it beyond a reasonable doubt. They could not however think of a punishment."

"What it the crime?"

"First-degree murder."

"Why is that?" Her fear was coming out as her voice became squeaky, almost mousy, "Why was I not allowed to face my accusers?"

"Because, they're dead. And you did face those who accused you, the Star Chamber is made of advocates for justice. Since you're on the wrong side of it, they were you're accusers. They questioned you five times."

"Yes, and?"

"And they compared what you had told them to the testimonies of others and to the evidence. Not only did you do, but you admitted it, and from your display just now, took pleasure in it. Not only did you feel that it was within your right to kill people, and you are gratified by it."

"First-degree murder?" She starting twitching

"And now, I have the prerogative, the mandate, the obligation to punish you."

"And did they find aggravation with my conviction?"

"That was what I was trying to determine, Azula. That is what this whole chat was about Azula. I wanted to see if anything aggravated or mitigated your crime."

"And?"

"Do I really need to tell you?"

"I would like to know."

"You seem to know what exactly you did, and why you did it. Given that you also seemed to take a great amount of pleasure, sexual pleasure from the depraved murders of two innocents. Then, in an attempt to diminish what you had done, you lied. Now, the lying is of little consequence to me, but by trying to disguise what you had done you proved something very important. The evidence you have given me with all the drama and noise aside is really what I was after. It was all I wanted to know and it gives me a sort of assurance of something that had always pestered me. Something I always truly wondered about you."

"What are you going on about Zuko? You're starting to sound like our crazy uncle. Philosophy and talk but nothing else." She spat the words, "He's an old fuddy duddy and you want to be a young troglodyte."

Zuko continued, his voice still not changing its calm, measured demeanor, "I always knew you were smart, Azula. Using that big word for cave dweller is proof of that. Ou whole family is smart, our mother wand our father were, and Uncle Iroh is a man of great wisdom. Your whole web of lies proves how smart you are, how in touch with reality you are. But as I say, you have given me the answer to the question I had always wanted to know"

"Would y-"

"Do you know the difference between right and wrong? Good and evil? The difference between the acceptable and the unjustifiable?"

"And, since you seem to be psychoanalyst, judge, jury, and executioner, do you think I know the difference?"

"Yes."

"I-"

"You know the difference better than me. You are an expert at manipulation, Azula. And do you know what that means?"

"What?" She sounded fed up, though the fear was still in the back of her head.

"It means that you understand the ins and outs of human relationships better than the average person. You understand what we, the civilized people of any society, view as right and wrong. You are smart enough to know what people can accept and what they abhor. That only brings me to the worst possible conclusion that one can reach about another's character, another's soul."

"You're so dramatic, Zuko."

"That conclusion is that you know what's right and wrong, but you simply don't care. You premeditated the deaths of two people, understanding fully that killing is wrong, and you simply did not give a damn."

Azula started to chuckle, "All of that hot air to say that you think I'm evil. You're almost as bad as that Water Tribe peasant girl. Are there any more sermons, any more lectures from on high?"

"No, there aren't any more sermons or lectures, Azula. As I have said, I am now faced with the real choice of what to do with you. If it were a person in a lower station in life, a jury would consider the two options of punishment for a crime as infamous as this one: life imprisonment or death."

"Death?" She asked almost smirking, "The people won't let you kill me."

"Maybe not right now, but after the Star Chamber's report is plastered on the front pages of the newspapers this morning, they may have a different opinion. I think when they read about what you have done, they might change their minds. You won't be the cute princess that all love."

"The people won't allow it." Azula's voice was starting to crack. "They WON'T let you do it!"

"Thousands upon thousands of people are waking up as we speak Azula. They'll go to their local market, their local drug store, their local diner and buy a copy of their prefered newspaper, _The Times, The Gazette, The Daily News,_ whatever you like. And they will read the details, the minutiae of what you did. I don't think the people, whose very sense of decency you understand but ignore, will be rallying around and calling for leniency."

"Do you think you have beaten me, Zuko?" She continued shifting swiftly and sharply between smug and startled.

"I don't think this is a game. I'm holding your life in my hands. I could have you executed today or I could put you in a cell like this, lock you up and throw away the key."

"If you think it will be you who has the last laugh, you're sorely mistaken," She was sneered at him.

"I'm not laughing." He said, "I just want you to know that."

He stood up and stood behind his chair getting ready to leave. His black hood hit the floor again and he looked like the grim reaper as he looked into her cell.

"So what are you going to do, Zuko?" She looked up at him from the bed. The question was posed with a sort of defiant tone. There was a glint in her eye. He saw it and knew what it meant. She was trying again to exploit any weakness that she could find. "What are you going to do to the last real family you have? What are you going to do to the person, the only person who could reasonably take forward the royal institution, our glorious Monarchy, if, heaven forbid, you die before you can provide an heir? What are you going to do with me, the one our father actually wanted on the throne?"

"I'll take appropriate action."


	17. Reunion, Part One

This is going to be on the longer side.

* * *

Tuesday, October 9th, 1900, Palace Grounds, 9 AM

Zuko arrived back just in time. He walked onto the courtyard having changed into something regal, yet more comfortable. And red of course. He saw Sokka waiting outside, standing in the warm sunlight. Sokka was dressed in his Water Tribe garb, and it reminded Zuko how good his boyfriend looked in his national clothing, well the hot summer variant anyway. He was wearing a vest, so the muscles of his arms were exposed and glistened in the midmorning sun. Blue suited him, and those shorts showed his lower half to very particular advantage. He wore sandals too and looked down at Sokka's rather large feet. Well, everything was in proportion, it seemed, large proportion.

" _Stop it, Zuko!"_ He thought to himself, putting unclean notions, words, and images out from his imagination. At least for now.

He took his place to the left of Sokka. They stood for a moment looking, towards the east, from whence the gAang would come. The sun had risen sufficiently for them to look in that direction without strain. Sokka looked over at his boyfriend. His face was concerned, Sokka had been worried about it since Zuko left before for Zuko's safety, but for his sanity.

"How did it go?" Sokka asked.

"Well, I have the answers I need and I'm going to get the best outcome possible," Zuko answered, "Of that I'm sure."

"That's very diplomatic and all, but how did it actually go?" Sokka answered, his concerned not assuaged by Zuko's vagueness.

"It went fine," Zuko answered."It truly did."

"Have you made a decision yet?"

"No," Zuko said, "I haven't."

"You seem really calm about it." Sokka said, in admiration of his composure. "I'd be breathing fire if I were in your position."

"There's no use in me getting upset or angry about it any more." Zuko said without hesitation or excitement. "It's done. There's nothing I can do to bring Mai and Ty Lee back. The only thing I can think about is the safety of the Realm. It's a tactical decision I have to make. Will my Nation be safer with my sister breathing or buried under six feet of dirt? She's an inspiration to fanatics in both ways. She's an object of affection alive."

"And dead?" Sokka asked.

"An object of veneration. A martyr, a saint." Zuko answered, prescient and understanding of how his people thought. "I can't make this decision with passion and emotion being a driver. I have to resolve this in cold, calculated way. I can't let my emotions be a part of this."

"Just don't bottle them in, Zuko. I don't want you going crazy. I don't want you getting all rigid, frigid and tense." Sokka leant over the left to whisper in Zuko's ear, though there was no one around to hear, and said, "But if you do go crazy, take me with you. I'm already crazy about you."

Zuko felt a tingle up his spine and a twitch in his cock, but, much to his chagrin, had to suppress the urge to do anything about it. Sokka noticed Zuko's shuddering and backed off slightly, before they got into trouble. Zuko continued, "Don't worry, Sokka, you're the best sort of therapy there is. And I don't need a prescription."

"Really?" Sokka asked scoffing. "That was just sappy."

"I concerned with other sticky flowing fluids, thank you." Zuko said, not missing a beat.

Sokka relaxed, Zuko was his normal self. Making jokes and innuendos from thin air, like the horny, uninhibited teenager he was. Sokka loved him. It was becoming more and more apparent to Sokka that this 'boyfriend' thing was not going to satisfy his need anymore. This 'boyfriend' thing was too shallow. 'Boyfriend' was a dishonest word, because that's not how Sokka felt anymore. He couldn't think of a new word. It would come to him, of that, he was sure.

"This is going to suck." Sokka came back to reality. "Like really, really suck."

"What's going to suck?" Zuko didn't know, but the word suck put an image in his head.

"You don't know Zuko?"

"No, I don't a clue, Soks." Zuko used his pet name for his boyfriend at the worst possible time.

"This whole no affection thing while they're here talking to us. I can't even go to see you at night."

"Wait, why?" Zuko was a bit dense at that moment. "What are you talking about?"

"Two words." Sokka started, "Toph Beifong."

"Shit, I had not thought of that. She's a snoop too. Sticking her nose in where it don't belong." Zuko's tone was gentler than his words might lead one to think, but he was concerned, very concerned "We have to avoid even the appearance of affection. This is going to be hard."

"I know it. Even our body language will under constant scrutiny. I almost can't look at you because my heart starts to pound out of my chest. I get in a state when I see you Zuko. Something about you makes my baser instincts come out. Something about the Fire Lord, yelling my name peaks my interest."

"And what if she asks about our interests" Zuko came to his senses quickly, "what if she senses something in our heartbeats?"

"Just don't lie, whatever you do. If she asks you directly, be like the Star Chamber and answer a totally different question. Dodge like a politician would. Hell, I guess the upside to this, if there is one, is that you'll get more practice in speaking diplomatically," Sokka's advice was given with true optimism, "It'll frustrate her, it'll frustrate you, but she can't just out and out interrogate you."

"She won't," Zuko said, "She knows that we'll just shut down if she pressed too hard. And then she'd never know. I think she's cleverer than that, Sokka."

"Well, Zuko, the two of us are smarter than her." Sokka proclaimed with a quiet confidence. "And besides, I think they'll be too much world politics to be focused on sex."

"Aren't they the same thing?" Zuko asked, actually opening up a metaphysical argument.

"Similar, Zuko, similar. Both are intimate, both are cut and thrust, both involve one's complete being. The difference is that one is productive and the other is utterly pointless."

"Which one's pointless, which one's productive?"

"You tell me." Sokka replied.

"One is certainly too much fun to be pointless. The other, however, is productive, though a bit annoying."

"Look, I was just theorizing, well, screwing with you and you go and make it all deep," Sokka laughed. "Don't make it all deep."

"Fine, you're right, I won't make it deep. I'm better at taking it deep," Zuko brought it back around to his favorite topic.

"You're putting me on edge, Zuko. It's not fair." Sokka had to readjust his stance to accommodate the bulge now forming in those blue Water Tribe shorts.

"Taste of your own medicine," Zuko chuckled a bit. Sokka understood what he meant. Zuko had not forgiven him for that bet.

"Fine, I'll never hold my cock over you again." Sokka liked the whole double talk thing. It kept him sharp and mildly aroused.

"You can't blackmail me or withhold it from me. It is part of the royal Remember that dick, though it swings between _your_ legs, it's a part of the Crown jewels, it is _my_ sceptre, mine. And Fire Lords aren't known for sharing."

"Good, I don't like to be shared around. I'm a one man man."

"Good," Zuko remarked, "So am I, and it's going to remain that way."

"You've got a bit of a jealous streak, Zuko." Sokka smirked, "Wouldn't want to get on your bad side."

"Keep being you and you'll never see my bad side."

"I like all your sides."

"Right answer, Sokka." Zuko said, "You know how to keep in my good graces."

"You make it easy enough, Zuko. All I have to do is not say anything stupid."

"You haven't done that in all the time I've known you." Zuko said, earnestly, "I've never heard anything not worth saying from you. Honest."

Sokka chuckled, "You must love me to not have heard any of the oafish things I've said."

"Well," Zuko contended, "at least you'd be my oaf. You're not stupid, you're not clumsy, and you're not uncultured either. Who was it reading the classics while I was recovering."

"I read to keep from thinking those monstrous thoughts. I was afraid for the longest that I'd lost you. I had to read to keep from worrying myself to death. Anytime the nurses came in, I insisted on helping. I… I… I'm sorry."

"Why?" Zuko asked appreciating the genuine emotion from his lover.

"It's just, I don't want to get all heavy when you have Azula on the brain, and any second now Appa will appear bring with him the weight of the world's problems. I'm not supposed to be making your burden heavier with _my_ emotional stuff. If anything it's my job to make it lighter."

"You do Sokka," Zuko reassured him, "And don't be afraid to get emotional with me. You shouldn't bottle things up either. I trust you with all my hopes and fears. I hope you can trust me Sokka. You make everyday lighter, happier, freer than the day before it. You're the one I trust with everything I have. Do you trust me"

"I trust you, Zuko." The Water Tribesman spoke plainly and unequivocally. "I trust you. Forgive my reserve. Down in the Water Tribe, not even the women talk about the emotion. There was no time. The war made us efficient units, not really thinking about anything but getting by. It'll take me a while, but I promise that I'll— I'll try."

"Good." Zuko squinted and pointed at the sky, "Do you see that?"

Sokka looked to where the Fire Lord was pointing. Lo and behold something that looked like a cloud was coming towards them at speed. It was too big to be a bird, planes did not exist yet, so it had to be Appa. Several member of the press that had been gathered far enough away not to know what Zuko and Sokka were saying started to approach with their cameras. They were ready for this picture to appear on the evening additions. Whatever the picture was, they knew that history was being made.

"Any last words?" Zuko asked knowing that they would have to play chaste.

"I love you." Sokka whispered quickly.

"I love you too."

Appa approached as did the press, and the two of them both sighed heavily, seeming to miss each other already. Appa came to land a sensible distance away, and did land softly. Sokka and Zuko couldn't see who was on the sky bison, so this would be a long line of surprises. The photographers formed a line trying to get the perfect shot for the papers. Sokka took a couple of steps back, knowing that Aang and Zuko were the men of the hour. He was content enough to bask in Zuko's presence. Aang was the first one off and airbended to a gentle landing.

"Zuko, Sokka," Aang called out, wearing his orange Air Nomad garb, walking over to them, "It's good to see you again." The Avatar looked over and, sensing the presence of the cameras, stuck out his hand for Zuko to shake. The sound of shutters started ringing in their ears immediately. (Though of course, not that loud annoying sound we have today). Zuko and Aang came together and did that strange handshake where they weren't looking at each other, but to the cameras. This became a tradition for all politicians.

They turned and actually face each other. They shook firmly, genuinely, friendly. They let each other go before Zuko made his first comment.

"My goodness, you've grown." Zuko said, now easily looking Aang in the eye. Aang was almost as tall as him, and would probably end up being taller than Sokka.

"That's about all I've had time to do," Aang added, jokingly, "We have a lot lot to talk about."

"Don't I know it," Zuko answered. "The weight of the world has arrived, and I think we're ready."

Aang smiled at that, "I sure hope so."

Aang stepped over to Sokka, "Hey, how's it been in this tropical paradise?"

"Busy." Sokka answered, cracking a smile.

Just then Katara came down from the beast and ran straight to her brother. She hugged him as if she had not seen him in weeks. Oh wait… she hadn't.

"I missed you so much," she said, "I can't believe it, but I actually did."  
"Well, thanks." He wheezed, the wind being knocked right out of him.

"We have so much to talk about," She said, "We spent time with dad, and he- Well, we should discuss it away from the media."

Toph made her careful descent from Appa and place her feet on solid ground. She could see again and read everybody's signs. Everything was normal… for now. She had detected something interesting between Sokka and Zuko the last time she was in the Fire Nation Capital. They had the same heartbeat then. She used her earthbending to 'look' carefully.

" _Yup,"_ She thought, " _Same heartbeat. Same energy."_

She walked over towards them, "You two, Same heartbeat. Care to explain?"

"We're on one accord," Sokka said, not missing a beat. His wit was going to be tested.

"It's probably the heat," Katara chimed in with that characteristically motherly disposition. "Spirits know how long they've been out here looking at the sky, probably looking into the sun waiting for us."

Sokka wanted to give Katara a high five right then for diffusing the bomb before it could be built. He couldn't though; he had to remain cool.

"Shall we go in, then?" Zuko asked, "And get out of this heat."

Katara yelled, though in a very ladylike way, "You might want to come down now. We're about to go in."

Sokka looked around. Aang, check. Katara, check. Toph, check. Zuko, check plus. Who could it… Then a terrible thought came to him.

" _Please, don't let it be Suki."_ He shouted on the inside.

Unfortunately, the Water Tribesman's worst nightmare presented herself in full Kyoshi regalia and make up. She stepped off Appa, and not missing a beat made a beeline towards her ex. His nightmare went from bad to hellish.

"Hello, Suki," he said cordially, reaching out his hand.

"Hello, Sokka," her voice was deeper, more sensual. She drew him into a hug, crushing the life out of him for the second time.

" _Oh, shit."_ Sokka thought, " _Is this bitch trying to come onto me? I hope Zuko isn't freaking out."_

If looks could kill Zuko had just hung, crucified, drawn, ignited, and quartered her. His thoughts were like this. " _Oh, shit. Is that bitch trying to seduce my Sokka? We'll see how far that goes. That slut better keep her feet planted on the fucking ground if she knows what's good for her. Stupid whore wearing all that fuckinf makeup. Who the fuck does she think she is. You're on my turf, bitch"_

Toph took note of their reactions and would question it later.

"So, I think we should head in," Zuko said, his voice sounding mellow, "I don't know if you've already had breakfast." He and Aang started walking towards the door of the palace.

"No," Toph said quickly. "We haven't." The rest followed behind exchanging small talk.

Zuko turned to the cameras, "When I have some news that I can share, I will release a statement to let you know what it is."

* * *

After a full Fire Nation Breakfast they all went to Zuko's drawing room. They sat around a great redwood was large enough to give everyone room, and low enough to function as a coffee table. Zuko sat at the head of the table and Aang opposite him. Zuko sat in one of the great chairs, Aang in the other. Katara and Toph sat next to each other on a black leather loveseat. Sokka and Suki (make up now removed) ended up next to each other on a matching loveseat.

Sokka maintained a 'professional' distance from Suki, but she seemed to want to snuggle up to him. Sokka would quickly but gently disentangle himself from Suki before she would try again to attach herself. This battle lasted for the length of the conversation between Aang and Zuko. Toph, for her part in this -while adding to the conversation- was pitying Sokka the whole time. Katara started to squirm, seeing how uncomfortable her brother was and felt guilty about it. You see, it was Katara who had filled Suki with hope about reuniting with her ex. (Granted she didn't know that her brother was in love with Zuko. She didn't even know about that inclination in her brother)

"So…" Zuko said to open the conversation, "What have you been doing in the last month, Aang?" The words sounded gentler than they read.

"Flying. Putting Appa through his paces. The first thing we did was visit the colonies. We did a sort of marathon tour over the first week to see what the conditions were, what the attitudes were."

"And, how are they?" Zuko asked nervously.

"Well, in most of them, Zuko," Aang exhaled, "Most of them have no affinity to this nation or the Earth Kingdom and want to be independent of both. However, they seem to cleave closely to the legal system developed here, jury trials, common law, equity in the system. They seem, at least the majority of them to also accept capitalism and would not want a government too involved in the economy, also like the Fire Nation."

"The Earth Kingdom has a free economy too," Suki almost yelled. It seemed that the lady did protest too much. Sokka took the opportunity of her being distracted to scootch over.

"Not as free as this one," Aang said, "There's no price controls here. Lower taxes here, but that's not the important thing. What's important is that even with their admiration of your system here , they still want out from both countries."

"So that's why we need to have this plebiscite."

"Exactly," Aang said, "For a hundred years it looks like Fire Lords and Earth Kings alike were making decisions without regard to their subjects. The people in the colonies controlled themselves set up their own elections for mayors, traded with both sides of the war. Earthbenders, firebenders, even some Water Tribe intermarried. There's all sorts of new bending out there with the mixing together. They printed their own books, did not really fly your flags. What I'm saying is that it is actually right they separate from both countries. They are nothing like either country."

"There is nothing I can do about it honestly." Zuko realized, "If I try to keep them, it would just be another war with another country. No one here wants that. There is one problem, however."

"What's that?" Aang asked.

"There is going to be a loss of tax revenue. They do more than their fair share when it come to the tax burden. We'd be running a deficit but for the colonies." Zuko said, "That being said, I have yet to have a financial year without War Time expenses. I have to see what happens without those expenses."

"Your expenditure, year to year, will drop substantially I imagine," Aang said.

"From War Expenses, yes, but I have to pay my soldiers a decent payout. I'll probably lose the money from the colonies in absolute terms, with less money circulating in my economy. When I negotiate the terms of peace with the Earth King, there will probably be a demand for money. "

"I can confirm that." Toph chimed in, "My King is thoroughly vexed with you. It'll drive him to an early grave if he doesn't calm down. His blood pressure was through the roof the whole time we were in Ba Sing Se."

"Zuko," Aang leaned in, putting his elbows on the table, "He's out for blood. He said to us that he wants to-"

Suki raised her voice again "Are you really going to tell _him_ ," She pointed to Zuko rudely, "Are _you_ going to tell _him_ what the His Majesty told us in confidence?"

"Well," Aang looked over at her, thoroughly annoyed, "Normally I wouldn't, I would stay completely neutral. But after throwing me out of the palace like that and then offering no assistance whatsoever with the colonial issue I am forced to align with Zuko."

"He threw you out?" Zuko asked.

"Yes," Toph answered, "After Aang said to the Snowflake King-"

"Don't you refer to our King that way." Suki reprimanded.

"What's he going to do, cut my head off," Toph was tired of Suki too, it was like the Kyoshi warrior was around to spoil the fun. "Anyway… he threw us out of the palace after Aang told him that he could work with you, Zuko. He said to Aang that he could never trust you after the coup in April. When Aang pressed on and persisted and said that maybe he should talk to you, he flipped out."

"Flipped out?" Zuko never heard that term before but was quite sure as to what was meant. "What did he do exactly?"

Quoth Aang, "He started yelling at me like he was my father. Words not fit for repeating."

"Kuei cursing?" Sokka was surprised at that, "If I didn't know any better I'd say that you were lying. I mean after we exposed the Dai Li conspiracy, when he realized that the person he trusted the most was a snake, he didn't even mumble anything under his breath."

Katara, by all means the emotional expert of the group, added her two cents, "Well, he's still paranoid about it. He's trying to exert his power over the people in his palace. The man, rightfully so mind you, is afraid of every shadow. He wants to show that betraying him would result in a high price. He's overcompensating now."

"Well, we'll see if he can yell at me like that when I go to see him." Zuko remarked, "So when do you think you want this referendum to take place."

"It's already been scheduled for Tuesday, November sixth. The question has also been chosen already. We even have the security arrangements... arranged."

"What is the question and how did you get the security ensured?"

"The question is: Should this Colony so and so become dissolve its ties with the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom and become independent? The answers are either, 'YES, this colony should become independent and form a new country.' or, 'NO, this colony should remain part of the Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom.'"

"What happens if they vote no?" Sokka asked. "I mean those two answers sound a bit complicated."

"There is a campaign in the colonies right now explaining that independence would mean a conglomeration of the newly independent colonies coming together. They would have a system of power sharing. Then the next week, on November thirteenth, any colony that voted to remain part of one of the nations would be asked. 'Which country should this colony remain a part of?' And then the ballot is divided, 'The Fire Nation', and 'The Earth Kingdom'.

"Isn't this all a bit quick?" Zuko's concern was obvious on his face.

"It can't wait." The Avatar was certain about this, "It really can't. This could have been done slowly over time, but the second he, the Earth King I mean, sent troops to invade, he lit the fuse. The only way to settle this is to allow the people to choose who they want. Of the seventeen colonies, going north to south, the top two want to remain in the Earth Kingdom. The middle thirteen want to see the back of both countries. The southern two want to be part of the Fire Nation."

"It's sickening," Suki's usefulness in this conversation was nil, "To think that there are Earthbenders down there who actually want to be part of this country."

"So, you said that you have security also sorted." Zuko outwardly ignored her.

"Yes," Aang replied, "And here's the part that you'd like, Sokka. We realized that there might be problems with tampering or intimidation on an issue as big as this one. We had to find a neutral party to go stop any problems at the polling place. Couldn't go with the Earth Kingdom Troops or the Fire Nation Forces, so we had to ask for some assistance from the Water Tribe. They have no horses in this race, so they were the best choice."

"We even got to see Dad, Sokka!" Katara exclaimed.

"What's he going to be doing?" Sokka asked, curious to know what his father was up to.

"He's the commander of all the security at the polls." Katara answered.

"Well good," Sokka said, physically removing Suki's arm from his leg, "I'm glad that he's a part of this." He looked over to his boyfriend, "Zuko, you still look concerned."

"I am."

"About?"

"A lot. First of all, knowing that I'm probably going to lose about a four hundred million per year from the colonies. I have to rearrange the budget here. The War alone cost about one billion per year. The home islands gave about one and a half billion, the colonies made for the surplus when the other things were added on top… I'm also concerned about the money in the colonies, is it going to be Fire Nation money from the beginning. What will it be based on? Gold? Silver?"

"We were thinking that there could be a reserve of Fire Nation proof and in time they could transition to money based on gold and silver." Aang said, having given this a large dose of thought. "When the colonies separate, we don't want it to be punitive to the Fire Nation. There's no need to further disgruntle or disillusion any of the population here."

"I'm glad that you've thought of that. I'm not just concerned about 1901. I have to think about 1920, 1950, 1970. I mean I even have to think as far as the year 2000. Let's think about this money thing even harder-"

Toph raised her hand unceremoniously, "Can I leave? This is about to get very very boring. I can feel it."

"Me too," Katara chimed in. "All of this policy talk is about to put me to sleep."

"Sure," Zuko said, "There's all sorts of things for you to do. Just ask the servants outside and they'll tell you all about it."

"Thank you," Katara said. She looked over at Toph, "Let's go do something totally unproductive and pointless. We've been working like the War is still on. Let's take a break"

"Sounds like a plan to me," They got up and made their way to the door, Toph asked, "Suki, are you coming?"

"No, Toph. I am not," she pointed at Aang and Zuko, "I am not going to allow these two to sell my Kingdom down the river so that the Fire Nation gets a free pass for a century of violent, thuggish, despicable imperialism. No thank you. And you, as a Beifong, the second family in all the land should be trying to stop this growing conspiracy with all your might. We see them colluding to rob and rape the Earth Kingdom. And I'm going to illuminate it. Are you just going to stand by, while the Avatar stabs us in the back?"

"Excuse me?" Aang asked, ripping his attention away from Katara's ample chest, "Suki are you… are you unwell? Do you actually hear the word you were saying? You're not in your right mind if you think that I want harm far anyone. I want peace and love among men. I am trying to bring about that very fragile peace and all you talk is conflict, division, and hate."

Suki softened her voice, "I don't think that the Avatar is on our side. We are the victims and I don't see him standing up for us, in fact it looks like you're siding with the Fire Nation."

"I am on the side of equity and fairness, Suki. Neither you nor Zuko will get all of the things you want. I am trying to create a world where nations can trade together and have control over their own destinies. If you can't add to that discussion, or even be respectful while it's going on, then you can leave." He was assertive and cool in his demeanor.

Sokka and Zuko both looked at Aang in awe. Standing up to Ozai was one thing, standing up to a woman was another.

"But-" Suki wanted to chime in.

"Put up, shut up, or get out." Aang said crossing his arms, "It's really that simple."

"Hmph," Suki huffed, "I don't have to take that." She looked at Aang with pure contempt, disgust. She looked over to Sokka and said sensually, "I will see you _later_ , Sokka."

She vacated the room and the doors were shut behind them. Aang waited a moment, and took a deep breath. He looked at Sokka and started begging pitifully, "Please take her back, she's been absolutely monstrous. All of that time spent travelling on Appa was her crying or yelling, bitching and moaning about nonsense. You were the only one who could contain it. It was like something switched when the war ended. Please take her back. I'm begging you, the peace of the entire world is dependent on you taking her back."

"I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen," Sokka said smirking. He was surprised to hear Aang swear. That only meant that Suki was really going at it. "That woman does not interest me at all. She repulses me actually

"Fine, I get it. I really do." Aang said. "I'm glad you got out of that before you couldn't. And I hope you find the one for you." The Avatar looked over to the Fire Lord, "You too, Zuko. I'm sure it'll happen for you both sooner rather than later."

" _If only he knew,"_ The lovers had that thought simultaneously.

Zuko looked on reassured that Sokka was still on his side. Zuko had been ignoring Suki as to not let his heart rate go up too much. He was about ready to choke that hoe, though. " _The slut had her paws all over him."_ Zuko thought. He put that thought aside, hoping that he would never have to speak the words.

"I should call in Hashi and tell him to bring in the Exchequer box. I think I will tell him to stay. He has a command of the finances of this country like nobody else." Zuko said getting up, "Is there anything you want? Tea, coffee, something stronger?"

"Tea please." Aang said, reshuffling his robe and leaning into his chair to get more comfortable.

"Cake and ice cream for me."

Zuko went to the telephone and Sokka and Aang were left alone together,

"So how have you been Aang?"

"Good," Aang said, "Well as good as one can be being pulled in thirty different directions."

"Are you resting?" Sokka asked.

"Your sister makes sure of that." Aang reminded him,

"Good," Sokka said, "And I hope you're finding time to relax."

"Yes, we all are."

"Good." Sokka sounded like a parrot, "Tell me Aang, are you two dating?"  
A slight blush came across the Avatar's face, "Well, as much as we can while we're this busy. We try to get away from Toph and Suki and enjoy each other's' company when we can." Aang's blush intensified, "Not like, I mean, I don't want to gross you out- But it's not like we d-"

"Sex?" Sokka posed the question, "I don't care, so long as you two are responsible. I'm not going to-"

"It's not like that. We know the facts of life and we don't want that until the time is right so we do other things to-" Aang stopped, "You understand me?"

"Yes."

"So, the real act will be on our wedding night." Aang said.

"Good."

"I thought big brothers were supposed to be overbearing. I was ready to be beaten up."

"She's smart enough to handle herself. And I only have to kill you if you break her heart," Sokka said, not flinching. "Understood?"

"Understood." Aang answered.

Zuko came back to the table. "Hashi and our food will be here in a few minutes. Did I miss anything?"

"No, we just had a quick chat about sex and death," Sokka said.

"Fair enough," said the Fire Lord.

* * *

The girls had decided to go to the spa and get pampered. Well, at least Katara and Suki did. Toph tagged along and watched over them so to speak.

At the moment , the two receiving treatment were having their hair washed and combed. Toph sat on a chair with her feet soaking in a basin of warm water. Suki had mellowed out in the moments between being ejected and getting to the spa. The strange thing was that for all her protesting the Fire Nation, she had no problem with them giving her service. She had no problem eating their food.

After they had their hair did, they moved to a sauna where they could talk privately. They all stripped wrapped themselves in towels and sweated it out. The older girls sat upright yet relaxed.

"I think I still have a chance with him, Katara."

"As ugly as that breakup was, I don't know," Toph added.

"Well, _Katara_ ," Suki added, pointedly snubbing Toph, "What do you think."

"Toph's right," Katara agreed, "I was watching him and he was not interested in you. I'm sorry but I think it's over."

"He was just playing hard to get."

"No," Katara said, "I know my brother and he's not capable of subtlety. If he wants something, everyone within distance will know it."

"He's being shy, bearing in mind that you were watching him and knowing that important business was being discussed."

"I could feel is energy, and it wasn't shyness. Again he's not capable of shyness," Katara said.

"I can tell you without a doubt that he was severely uncomfortable," Toph said, "He wanted out of there, or he wanted you out of there. Whatever the case Sokka and Suki is as dead as Ozai."

"A woman can use her wiles to seduce a man," Suki retorted.

"Or chase him away forever." Toph was trying to get it across.

"You know what Toph? I'm about tired of your no care attitude."

"And I'm actually tired of you being such a bitch to everyone, but we all have our hassles. DO you realize that you were just told off by Aang? You actually managed to get Twinkletoes angry. That's an accomplishment. I hope you're proud."

"Sarcasm is the lowest form a conversation," Suki came back, "And besides, someone needs to stand up to him."

"Who?" Katara asked.

"Aang."

"Why?"

"Because he couldn't quickly enough get on his knees and let Zuko piss all over him."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Katara got the mental image and did not like it, "Okay, I was trying to be empathetic. I really was. I know what it means to hate the Fire Nation. They took my mother away from me," Katara instinctively rubbed her neck. "But we have to move on Suki. The War is over and the Fire Lord is our friend. Right now he's trying to negotiate a peaceful solution that works for the your nation and his. Lighten up."

"I won't."

"Well, you'll die bitter and alone. You already chased my brother away, as easygoing and relaxed as he is. You've chased Aang away and he's a monk! Calm down, or no one will put up with you."

"Katara, I thought you were on my side."

"I am, but I'm on my brother's side more. You obviously don't make him happy right now. Maybe if you could find whatever is in yourself that made you so attractive to him, he'll come back alongside. I can tell you this now, that if you go on this way you won't get Sokka or any other man."

"You're slipping into Azula territory now," Toph said, twisting the knife, "and she's in a cell right now, probably waiting to bay at the moon."

"It's not a full moon right now Toph, in fact, it's a new moon." Suki could twist the knife too. "Makes the stars even brighter and more beautiful."

"Good to know," Toph said coolly "You know blind jokes are kind of old. In fact Katara told that very joke back in March. The War is over can we -you and me- let's just call a truce, and sweat out some of these toxins. I mean come on we're both on the same team here."

"Fine, I'm sorry," Suki said, finally showing some humanity. There was some hope for her after all. "I'm sorry that you're allowing your country to be sold down the river." Okay, hope gone.

* * *

"You two look so much alike," Aang said, "It's uncanny. Seriously, Hashi, with some makeup, you could impersonate him."

"Don't give him any ideas, Aang," Zuko said chuckling, "I don't need any pretenders to the throne. Especially not someone this important. He's my most important minister, my chief minister. He's my Prime Minister."

"Hmmm," Sokka said, "That sounds like an illustrious office. I like how it sounds, 'Prime Minister'."

"Why thank you, Sire. Knowing that I am so helpful does make me proud. And there's no need to worry about treason or coups from me, Sire." Hashi started, "First because it is wrong, and I have been close enough to the crown to see everything. I have seen that it is more glorious to those who see it than it is pleasurable to those who wear it. And I thank you, Avatar, for the compliment. His Majesty has millions lady admirers throughout the land. I would only want a hundredth of it, a millionth of it."

"Well, after these negotiations are over," Zuko replied, "You should take a vacation, Prime Minister. You've been working seven days a week for a while now."

"I don't need a break, all I need is to serve my c-" He coughed awkwardly, "My king. I will do it till you have no need for me."

"I will always have need of your expertise and if you don't vacation every so often, that service will be shortened."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Thank you." Zuko said, "And now, to take a first look at these spreadsheets, to figure out a decent payment for my men."

Hashi opened the red box.

The telephone began to ring. Zuko got up to attend to it.

"Hello?"

A male voice answered on the other end, "Your Grace."

"Yes," Zuko answered sensing something was wrong by the man's tone. "What is it?"

"Most Marvelous Majesty," The voice answered.

"Out with it man."

"Most Illustrious Lord. We were told not to disturb your meeting with His Excellency, the Avatar, but there is news, very important news. We are asking permission to come and see you to let you know."

"Can't you tell me now?"

"Sire, it is of such import that we need to inform you in person." The voice was somber. Zuko was getting a sinking feeling.

"If it is that serious, by all means come now." The Fire Lord said before hanging up.

Zuko sat back down, "The Sages want to tell me something, something important. DO you know about anything out of the ordinary, Hashi?"

"No, Sir, I don't."

"Well, we'll see," Sokka added.

There was a loud knock at the door. TAP TAP TAP

"Open the doors," Zuko yelled towards the doors. The opened in and a man wearing a old time wig and black robes came in and bowed. He held a black rod in his hand, which he must have used to know on the wooden door. He was followed by all of the Sages, also wearing black. All twenty of them came into the room and the doors were shut behind them.

"What is all of this? What's the matter? Zuko asked.

No one wanted to answer.

Zuko stood up, pushing his chair back, "WHAT IS IT?"

"My Lord," said the oldest of the Sages, "I'm afraid that it's very bad news."


	18. Dangling

Tuesday, October 9th, 1900, Tower Prison, 7:07 PM

They arrived at the prison under heavy guard. No wonder, it was the Avatar, the Fire Lord, and the Heir Apparent to the Southern Water Tribe. The first and last mentioned of the trio had insisted, required that they came with him to the prison. They didn't know why Zuko wanted to go and see for himself. He, Zuko, assured the Sages who had gathered that he believed every word they had told him, but he had to see. He had to lay eyes on the fact.

Zuko didn't want Sokka to come. Sokka didn't want Zuko to go alone. And Aang… well no one can deny the most important person on earth. They had all seen it all before. This time would be no different. It would just be one more thing. One more thing in this War. Sokka was seriously starting to wonder if the war was actually over. He was starting to feel the same sense of urgency and vague dread that defined him and his childhood. He just hoped that his kids would not have to endure any of this bullshit. Wait kids?

He and Zuko couldn't, but raising kids was a different issue. He put that to one side as he walked into the metal and stone place. The metaphysics and hypotheticals would have to wait. This was certainly not the time for musing; this event, this entire thing was entirely to visceral for that. Zuko had had to put his inner animal in check for the second, no, the third time that day. He was put in a corner and a rational approach was needed to shimmy his way out. This was big, this was important. Probably the biggest thing so far.

It was dank and cold like any other dungeon. And immediately, Zuko thought of how he could let his uncle subsist in this place for even an hour. A sharp pang of guilt hit him, and then subsided as he realized and reconnected to the current environment. The sun was setting outside, another day was about to be put behind him. But in there, in those tense, humid moments, time stood still. The stillness of the place was matched by the austerity of the guards there. Zuko looked into their faces, trying to feel the mood of at least a small sample of his subjects. The guards, all of them, were stone faced, as was their commission. The rest of the staff were a different story entirely.

They looked disturbed, uncomfortable, and revolted. That made Zuko feel better, only to know that there was no affection for his dearest little sister. It made him feel better that many of his people felt the same as he did. It told him, that at least in this instance, he and the majority of the people were of one accord.

He didn't care about Azula, but for his people, their feelings, and at the long end, the institution that he represented. His father and his sister had done enough damage to it before. Seriously, the Monarchy was hanging on by threads. The havoc created by that 'Phoenix King' stunt from his father, and the obvious infirmity of his sister was almost irreparable. It could just as easily die, if he did put in the work to save it. The people seemed to like him, but his father and sister had stripped the institution of its dignity and perceived inherent decency. He walked further down the same hallways he did those hours ago, contemplating what he was about to lay eyes on. This time the sun was in the west, this time he was with Sokka and Aang. Now things were changed, very changed indeed.

The staff of the prison bowed as he walked past. Half of them felt sorry for him, the other half wondered why he would want to see this. Both halves, by and large (very Fire Nation expression), would rally behind him. The few who did not support him, were not organized completely against him.

After what felt like a barefoot ten and a half mile walk over broken glass, he reached the room, the cell where his sister stayed. Or had been forced to stay over the last (almost) month. He, they all, had seen much. He thought that this would be one more thing. He knew he could. He knew he would see a lot more in his life. He was happy that he had his boyfriend beside him. He was comforted with the Avatar's presence as well.

"Is everything still the same as it was?" He asked one of the guard, who, of course was boxy, tall, pale, and ripped under the uniform.

"Yes, Sir." The guard feared that he sounded too short when addressing his sovereign. He knew that it was the right move to swallow his emotions, but he found it very difficult.

"Have any detectives come around to investigate this?" Zuko asked to make absolute certain. He did not want to tamper with any evidence.

"Yes, Sir," The guard said, not realizing his repetition "Photographs have been taken. The evidence has been documented. We waited until the evidence was taken before we sent the dispatch to the palace. The last thing that we need to do is r-" Zuko cut him off; he understood the gist of it. No need to rehash any of the details.

"Yes," Zuko said, authoritatively, "I understand. When I'm finished here, that more needs to be done. Now, you've said that everything has been taken care of?"

"Yes Sir." He answered. "We will completely restore this place to its former function within a few days time.

"Open the door, please." Zuko commanded and the guards on either side listened and the doors opened in. Zuko nodded quickly at them in brief, but sincere appreciation. He peered his head inside and moved his head like a swivel. At his eye level there was nothing. Darkened walls met his sight. It was dimly lit with a couple of gas lamps on either wall, no electricity yet. His nose sensed something sinister, though it was only slight. There was a vague gray tinge that also filled the room.

It had nothing to do with the light. It was like some grim spirit had taken over the space. Something was wrong with the space, he knew that. Putting aside his feelings of discomfort, he stepped into it, the room, the tinge. The other two followed him into the room, also looking around. Sokka and Aang also sensed that the doom and gloom in the room.

They had heard the news along with Zuko. They too were surprised, if not a little repulsed by the news. All three of them had taken it upon themselves to not tell the girls. They would let them get pampered first, let them enjoy themselves before they would be caught in the winding sheet, so to speak.

It took him a couple of moments to work up the courage, but when he had he did not regret it. He needed to see, just as he said to the sages half an hour ago. He would not renege now. He allowed his eyes to drift up, though he did not start of the place of most interest. He started at the corner, darted his eyes down, taking an inspective glance at the bare mattress, and looked back up at the other corner top corner. He looked down at the floor once more, committing himself to looking at the reason he came.

He ripped his eyes away from the cold stone floor and looked up, beholding the bad news they interrupted him to tell.

There she was dangling. The bedsheet was tied to the bars that formed the top of the box. The other end of the bedsheet was wrapped quite firmly around her neck. Her limp body was still swaying gently. All three of them looked up and shook their heads. This surely wasn't a tragedy, but none of them were elated either.

Zuko knew that this would be the outcome of this. He knew that she would end it because he knew her. When he made it abundantly clear that he would be the one to hold her fate in his hands, he saw the look. She was defiant. She took the very last opportunity to say "Fuck you."

What she didn't realize was that she played right into Zuko's hand. He had calculated this whole thing and she fell right into place. How? Firstly, it removed the burden of that heaviest of decisions from him. He knew that it was a terrible dilemma, one that none of his predecessors had faced before. He would have taken a lot lot of shit for sparing her. He would have looked weak. He would have looked as if he was willing to give a pass to her. It would look arbitrary. He could not reasonably say to the people that he understood fairness if he let her live. Common murderers received more justice than simply living. Murderers had known swifter answers for their crimes too.

He also would also have been hard pressed to name one, and only one, redeeming quality she ever possessed. Objectively and pragmatically thinking, it would have been quite expensive to spare her. He could not say without doubt that she was worth it. He didn't feel that she ever could be worth it.

On the other hand, he would have looked like a coward and a traitor if he decided to kill her. It would have looked like he was so scared of her that he acted impulsively. Even with the information of what she had done, he would have looked like a weakling. What kind of Fire Lord would be afraid of a teenage girl? What kind of man would ever have to kill someone who's not even reached ripe womanhood? The answer was not pretty, and would only sow resentment in him. It might not have been that bad, but it would plant a seed of doubt. That seed was all that was needed to start the undoing of the monarchy, or the disenchantment with his position, his power, and worst of all, his person. Also, if he had been the one to order the execution, he knew he would have started something new and dangerous. He would have started a movement based around Azula. It would have been populated by those who thought she was innocent, those who thought she was justified, and most treacherously, those who had supported her at the beginning.

What better signal would there have been to rally against him? He thought back to a historian from the four hundred years ago, when the virgin queen reigned. One piece The old quote went like this: "The kingdom suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." He sure as hell was not going to have his kingdom taken away from him. Not again. " _Fuck that,"_ Zuko said in his head thinking of the quote and thinking of everything Azula had done to the Nation.

He would not tolerate anymore destruction. He knew what it meant on his skin, He had seen what it could do to land and towns. And as he looked up at the body, he saw the violence of old, dead, swinging gently, some flies starting to coming in. He knew that there would be new conflict to come. This new "Cold War" with the Earth Kingdom was looking more and more inevitable. He looked over at Aang, who had stopped staring by that point. He wondered what they would do.

It was the two of them. Aang and Zuko had to piece something together, put away or assuage or address the grievances of the nineteenth century. At least with that body hanging one of the major one had been practically addressed or put away. He still looked to Aang, feeling a vague admiration for him. Aang had kept that positive attitude, even in growing sterner with people. The same types of conspiracies that scared him to death, were the same ones that swirled around Avatar Aang.

Aang was being constantly jibed at all sides. The Earth Kingdom thought he was a traitor for even talking to Zuko. The Northern Water Tribe seemed to have very similar feelings according to the intelligence Zuko received. The Fire Nationals did not trust him either, because, for better or for worse, Aang was responsible for the death of their former ruler. The only people who seemed to like Aang were the Southern Water Tribe (after the awkward events of finding the boy in the iceberg) and the colonials. And they did not even have a nation yet. Aang was being forced into one side of the world's politics.

Need proof?

The Earth King actually turned the Avatar out of his palace. Let me put it like this if Ba Sing Se was the 'east' and the Fire Nation, and soon-to-be Republic were the 'west', Aang was now a Western Leader. That's how Zuko saw it. (Objectively, that is how it appeared.) At least, Aang was on his side. And at least he had proof that Aang was on his side.

Then he looked to Sokka, who was already looking at him. Zuko's head immediately sunk as he looked down at the floor. He wanted to be in Sokka's arms so badly. He did not want to cry, or yell. He only wanted to be close to Sokka. Sokka only wanted to comfort him, but they knew they couldn't. They did not know how long they looked at each other in that cold, dark cell, but they did not want to stop. Aang's eyes darted back and forth as he put it all together. He saw the look on Sokka's face. He saw they way Zuko reacted and wondered how he had not seen it before. He didn't need to ask. He knew love when he saw it, and their looks. Purer expressions of love had never been seen before. And of course they had to take place just a few feet under a dead body.

Aang's thoughts were something like: " _Oh shit, they're in love. Look at these two; that's that lovey-dovey look. Explains a lot over the time I've known 'em. The way they had always stared at one another. Makes that same-sex marriage thing make a lot more sense. I gotta tell them that I know."_

Zuko ripped his eyes away from Sokka, remembering after what felt like a short eternity that Aang was there. He hoped that Aang had not noticed.

Something curious though… Zuko knew that his sister was not one to go out quietly. She would have said something. She would have indicated her intentions. Stiffly, he moved forward, trying not to disturb the place too much. Sokka and Aang looked at each other in confusion as Zuko moved towards the interior of the cell.

The first thing Zuko did was lift the thin mattress. Nothing there. He ran his fingers over the seams looking for a hole or a cut. He saw nothing there.

"Zuko?" Aang asked, talking to Zuko's back "What are you looking for?"

"She left a note, Aang." Zuko said, "She wants to say something."

"I think her body hanging from the rafters says enough," Sokka said, a lot more bluntly than he intended. Sokka grimaced silently, out of Zuko's sight. Zuko understood his meaning and did not take offense. Sokka was hopelessly, almost belligerently blunt and that was one of the reasons he loved him so much.

"I agree Sokka, but this is Azula, we're talking about here. She says something big and says something subtle at the same time." Zuko turned his attention to the metal bed frame. He tapped his fingernail on it gently to listen to the sound quality, "This thing is hollow."

"What?" Sokka walked up towards him, and Aang followed.

"Help me flip this thing."

"Flip it?"

"Yes, if this thing is of hollow construction she could have rolled up some paper and stuffed it up one of these legs."

"That sounds crazy," Aang started, "Crazy enough for Azula."

They overturned the bed frame, and had the legs facing out. Zuko looked and saw that the legs were indeed hollow. He checked the first, then the second, then the third.

Nothing.

The fourth was just as he expected. Complete with a piece of paper jammed into it. Zuko picked it out and held that rolled up note in his hand.

"You want me to read it?" Sokka asked.

"No, Aang, can you just give me some light."

Aang firebent a little flame and illuminated the room for them. Zuko rolled the paper out and looked at it before he read it. It was scribbled and messy. It was proof that Azula had finally lost it all. It was short, only a few words long, but he knew what the words meant. He cleared his throat and read it.

"I have decided, Zuzu. I have taken appropriate action."

* * *

Zuko's Drawing Room, 9:05 PM

"What happened?" Katara asked as the boys got back to the palace. The motherly concern was worn on her face, as she paced the carmine carpeting. She was in Zuko's drawing room, with Toph and Suki. "What's going on?"

"Azula's dead." Sokka answered.

"Oh?" Katara asked not particularly moved by the news, but surprised by it. Suki visibly perked up.

"Suicide: she hanged herself in her cell a few hours ago." Sokka added not feeling any particular emotion towards this whole scenario, "That ends that."

"Good, that crazy bitch needed to go," Suki said off-handedly. She also seemed to breathe a sigh of relief for some reason.

"Suki-" Katara started.

"No, Katara," Zuko started, "She's right. Azula had to come down, and it's better that she did it herself. Saves everyone else the trouble. She was my sister, but somehow, I know that we, the whole world is safer without her. I'm with Suki on this one. Trust me, i won't be grieving. I won't be celebrating, but I won't shed any tears. I guarantee you that much."

"See, Zuko and I agree on something for once." Suki preened like a peacock. She also seemed to relax in his presence, "Whatever the case is, with her gone, I know that this makes it easier for things to move forward. So long as I know that."

"Wait," Zuko thought in that moment, "Suki, were you mad at me for keeping Azula around? I know the history you had with her."

"Partly, Zuko. As long as she was around, I didn't know where your head was. I wanted revenge, I guess. That still doesn't mean I like you, but you've risen in my estimation."

"That's all that can be asked for." Zuko was sure they would be at it again if she went after Sokka. He would definitely appreciate this reprieve. He did not know how long it would last. (Not long at all). He would take advantage of this peace when he could. "Can we call a truce for now?"

"Fine," Suki said, "So long as Azula is not around as a threat. I think I'll give you another chance."

Aang laughed wryly but quietly to himself.

"Suki, are you okay?" Sokka asked, "You seem so different. Not a bad different, but like super-relaxed."

"I'm fine, Sokka," Suki walked up closer to him. "I swear I am."

Sokka took a sniff, a silent one, but forceful enough to see what the case was. He knew that smell well. It explained it all to him, " _She's drunk off that damn cactus juice."_ He thought to himself, " _What a fucking enchantress! If the only time I can tolerate her is when she's wasted, I don't think this will have ever really worked out for us. "_

Aang was still stood to the side thinking about what he coined Zukka. He had put it together by watching how the two looked at each other, and he wondered if the others would. Suki was calm in that moment, but he did not think it would last. He was just wondering how he did not see it at first. He rethought every interaction he had seen between them. The recent ones were so obvious. The ice cream, the 'you're so smart, Sokka', the way Sokka so eagerly became his 'advisor', the way Toph said Sokka held him, the way they were with each other, the whole same-sex marriage decision. " _How didn't I see it?"_ Aang asked himself again. He thought that it was too coincidental to be simply chance. He resolved to find out.

* * *

Wednesday, October 10th, 10:12, Sitting Room

The three of them were sitting in these comfortable environs at Aang's request. Neither of the lovers knew why, but Aang had asked Hashi not to come into the talks until eleven o'clock.

"So, Aang, why did you want to talk with us to talk without Hashi about all of this stuff?" Sokka asked.

"Because, I want to talk something besides politics for a while." Aang said, completely leaned back in the chair.

"Shoot." Zuko asked.

"Why did you legalize same-sex marriage, Zuko?"

"Isn't that politics?" Zuko answered.

"It has to do with love, so not completely." Aang answered sincerely.

"Well, I thought that people deserved the due process of the government recognizing that love comes in many forms. It's about people's hearts, not people's parts. That was why I did it. If two soldiers who served the country want to get married, I'm not going to stop them. And I'm not going to allow anyone to stop them."

"Ah," Aang nodded, "That is a very modern thing to do."

"I am a very modern Fire Lord." Zuko said.

"I can vouch for that," Sokka said. "We even talk on the telephone."

"Often?" Aang had heard about these devices and intended to try it out before he left. Along with one of those new electric lights.

"Well, yes, Sokka's my advisor and when he talks, I listen." Zuko answered.

"Good."

"As soon as you find a permanent residence, I'm going to set up a direct line between you and the palace. I think that we will have to keep in touch somehow. Telegrams are pretty good, but the telephone is a revolution. We'll be able to talk about anything and everything we need to in real time," Zuko was excited.

"Everything?" Aang asked.

"Any and everything." Zuko replied.

"Well, before we get to the telephones, you would be able to speak to me just as freely about these things face to face."

"Yes, of course." Zuko said.

"And you, Sokka?" Aang asked.

"How long have we known each other, Aang?" Sokka started rhetorically, "Of course, I'm an open book."

Aang started his peroration of this interrogation, "My people had among them some of the great philosophers and authors of all time. They wrote, theorized, made prose, composed music and poetry. Any topic under the sun was covered, war , peace, time, death. They wrote about swans, and lakes, the feeling as the wind beneath one's wings. The wrote about the delicate feeling of a butterfly landing on someone's skin, the tenderness of love. Oh and how they wrote about love. Affection, loyalty, lust. They wrote about all sorts of attractions. A man and a woman, two women, and even the love that two men could share for one another."

"Oh?" Zuko asked, successfully not showing his nerves at the questions.

"Now within my culture, there was indifference about all types of love. If both sides were committed to one another, we welcomed it, not matter who the two parties were. When I look back to over a century ago, I realize that I saw it all. I saw the love that blossomed between a man and a woman, two women, or two men."

"Yes." Zuko was really starting to freak out, but again there was no way of knowing from looking at him.

"Continue," Sokka said, he was also composed, "Hearing about the Air Nomads and their ways and customs is always interesting to me." He learned how to keep cool under pressure from his boyfriend. "Your people, as you contemplate them. It's so cool. We didn't have much time during the war to discuss it."

"You know what I noticed the most guys? The thing that I never shook from my perception?"

"What?" Sokka asked, curious but afraid.

"I saw that all three types of love were essentially the same. I mean even calling it three different types is not correct. The parts that connected were different from relationship to relationship. Sometimes the couples had the same parts and made do. Whatever the case, the hearts were the same. The affection was the same. Every couple, no matter what their composure was had some things in common. They all had the same affection. They always craved the same intimacy. They always had the same moronic look of complete fondness, endearment. The expressions of care and warmth have now been duplicated all over the world for me. I saw it just as clearly in 1795 as I see it today."

"That's beautiful, Aang. It's good to know that something transcend nations, times, wars, and cultures."

"It is beautiful. Love is a beautiful thing in all of its appearances and ways. I have seen it in my country, in the Earth Kingdom, experienced it in the Water Tribes, in the Colonies, and here in the Fire Nation. I have even seen it where it ought not exist, even in the midst of oblivion and death."

"Wh-"

"I have yet to see a clearer, more explicit, more delightful expression than I saw between you two last night."

Zuko and Sokka looked at each other, and then at Aang.

Sokka spoke, "How did you-"

"The tender feeling between you two is so terribly obvious Sokka. Now that I think back to when you first met in that battle in the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka you were blushing really hard. It wasn't embarrassment, either"

"Heat of battle." Sokka replied.

"Heat in your pants, more like." Aang replied, not trying to be funny, rather attempting to show his depth of understanding.

"Whatever." Sokka said looking at the carpet, knowing that was the truth.

Zuko piped in, "Aang, you can't tell anyone."

"Yeah," Sokka said, "Not Katara, or Toph, and definitely not SUKI."

"I won't," Aang promised, " I couldn't. Your secret is safe with me. I know and understand that your relationship isn't just personal, but it's inherently political. The relationship between the Fire Lord and the heir to the Southern Water Tribe chiefdom is not just two people coming together. It's two countries becoming more intimate. I get that. As the Avatar, I'm happy if two states can come together. As your friend, I'm happy for the both of you. As weird as it seems, you two are meant for each other.

"Thank you," Sokka sighed in relief. He reached over and gave Zuko a kiss on the cheek. The kissee blushed. They both relished in the fact that they were able to do that in front of a friend.

Aang, smiling at this newly found confidence and happiness, spoke, "However you proceed, you have my full support. You two are my friends, not matter what. "

There was a knock at the door that made all three of them jump a little. They all looked over at the clock. Eleven o'clock had arrived and Hashi was punctual. They all sat up , smoothing out imaginary wrinkles from their clothes. Once they had all completely readjusted to their seats. (It only took a matter of seconds.)

"Come in." Zuko pronounced loudly towards the door.

Hashi opened the door, red box in hand. And walked towards the table where they we all seated.

"Good morning, Prime Minister." Zuko greeted Hashi.

"My Lord, I think that title is a bit lofty for the things I do." He said taking a seat at the table. He places his ministerial red box on the table and opened it. The first thing he did was remove the newspapers he had from the box.

"I think it's a fine title for a fine minister. My Kingdom wouldn't be running without my Prime Minister."

Hashi looked over at his sovereign, "Thank you very much, Sir." Hashi laid the newspapers upon the table. "Before we get to business, I have to ask you. Have you seen any of today's newspapers, Your Majesty?"

"No, I didn't need to read the details." Zuko said.

"No, Sir, not the news articles. I would also avoid those things like the plague. You should read the editorial pages and see what they have to say today. Every paper I have come across is backing your rule as the right and true Sovereign and Head of State of the Fire Nation, or singing your praises. Some of the paper, the ones targeted to women are even talking about how handsome you are."

"What?"

"Yes, Sir. One of the papers even called said that you are 'the strength and common decency of the people' They called her the last vestige of cowardice and wretchedness of the century we wish to transcend.'

"Really?"

"Sir, I must be honest, for this first month, for the time when Azula was alive, your rule looked threatened at best, and even dangling to some. Now that she's dead, there's no disputing. You are the Fire Lord, and there is no alternative. They, those who would see you dethroned, they have no one legitimate to look to. You are the king and there are no pretenders, or likely usurpers. I think, no, I know that you are now firmly planted on the throne. You are now secure."

Zuko looked at Hashi, and calmly asked in response, "Am I?"


	19. Midnight Crisis

Thursday, October 11th, 12:02 AM, Zuko's Bedchamber

Zuko was sitting on his bed, still astounded that Aang had figured them out. Of all the people around them, Aang put it together. Zuko felt that if Aang could manage it, the rest must have had suspicions. Whatever the case, Zuko still was in his bedchamber alone, bereft of his Soks. It seemed cruel to him. The whole thing seemed cold, but there was nothing to do about it. It was strange but he knew what that old quote meant.

"To be a king and wear a **crown** is a thing **more glorious** to them that see it than it is pleasant to them that bear it," he murmured to himself. He knew that was true. He was experiencing that terrible and inconvenient truth every moment of the day. He also knew that he would abdicate his throne in a second if it meant he could be with Sokka freely. He would give up the riches that came with the crown too. You can trust that he had seriously weighed the options several times, but his sense of duty won out in the end. He owed everything to his people. He would sacrifice love, for those who gave up their limbs, freedoms, and their very lives for the continuation of institution that made them give those thing up in the first place.

But it wasn't fair. It wasn't fucking fair.

It wasn't fair to Sokka. Zuko had felt guilty about many things in his life, many things. He knew that he had done some bad, criminal things when his mind was set on conquest. He had richly deserved some of the suffering that he received. He had caused so much agony himself. But he had not felt as guilty about all of that as he did now. He had been so selfish all his life. Now, he was doing it again. He was keeping Sokka to himself.

Sokka was, is, and will in Zuko's opinion forever be a virile, handsome, smart, industrious, loving, caring, compassionate, loyal, adventurous, funny, witty, versatile, sexy man. Those words were just the beginning of the list of adjectives for Sokka. And Zuko caged all that potential like a beautiful bird with colorful plumage and a sweet song. Zuko felt even more greedy for holding back Sokka's brains and talent. The Republic (or the United States as some were calling it) could use Sokka's mind and talent, let alone his own people in the Southern Water Tribe. But Zuko hoarded him.

He had disrobed and gotten into some pajamas. He was in bed alone, and he had not been in this state for some time. He felt lonely when he was without him, without Sokka. It looked around and felt to him like a piece of him was missing. His boyfriend was only a few rooms away, but he felt so separated. The silence in the room overwhelmed his senses. The silence deafened him, muted him, blinded him, and numbed him. Sokka might as well have been in Ba Sing Se for all he thought.

He had not been unshakable in his belief of a true presence of love in the past, but now was sure of its absence. He knew it would be temporary, but it was terrible. It would only be a few days, but it would a few days drowning in fire. Every second wanting him, was like an eternity building on top of perpetuity. He was a Fire Nation boy indeed, passionate and longing, yearning to be with his lover. It was not even sex he needed tonight, just intimacy. Fire Nation men were known around the the world as being affectionate with their lovers. Their only foil was that when their lover was elsewhere, they felt consumed in a bad way. Consumed and falling into a deep, dark black and ever-blackening hole.

He needed Sokka's presence. His warmth, his smile, his gentle scent like the ocean. Zuko needed to look into his eyes and get lost in those oceans of passion, those pools of warm feeling and love. Zuko wanted to be possessed in that most tender way, simply to be held in Sokka's arms, simply to be held tight. But he was lonely, alone in this big bedroom, as he sat alone on the throne.

Hashi had said only a few hours ago that he was 'more secure'.

That could not be further from the truth. Sure, outwardly, there was no more challenge to his legitimacy. But he felt the opposite of secure: diffident, mousy, exposed. Sokka was like his security blanket. All the world's problems went away when he was with Sokka. Or, at least, Sokka turned the lights on. The monstrous shadows became normal objects again. What was dangerous and horrifying became known and mundane. Sokka's wit and humor also smoothed Zuko's rough edges. Zuko's dark, cold and steely intensity could not stand up in the gentle light and warmth of Sokka's ever-affectionate disposition.

He didn't know why he felt his cheeks warming up or why he felt moisture running down his face. All he knew was that the feeling overwhelmed him. He felt sad beyond words, and it wasn't because of Azula. Fuck that bitch. He would have her cremated and the ashes scattered in the morning, no ceremony.

It was because Sokka wasn't with him. He didn't think that Sokka had this much sway over him, but the Water Tribesman apparently commanded his heart even from a distance. All those things he stated before were the introductory paragraphs, the opening statement as to why he loved Sokka. It was why he was falling deeper and deeper into that passion. He was more than besotted with Sokka, oh yes, it was more than infatuation now. He did not just get drunk on Sokka's companionship, oh no, Sokka was euphoria.

He wondered to himself what his lover was doing. He wiped his tears away, but he knew that only sleep would staunch the flow. Zuko lay down and put his head on the pillow as still more water escaped the corners of his eyes. He heard a crunching sound under his head. He lifted his head, then the pillow. And there was the great surprise.

A piece of paper folded and sealed. He lifted it up. ' Zuko' it said on the front.

Zuko broke the seal, opened the letter, and saw the writing. Definitely in Sokka's writing.

 _Dear lover,_

Zuko swooned at those words. "Lover," he whispered to himself.

 _We may be a few rooms apart, but I feel as if I were in the South Pole. I feel cold without you beside me. I miss your smile. I miss your warmth beside me as we made passionate love. I write this with a heavy heart, being able to see and touch you, but not able to hold you and know you. Forgive the teardrops that stain this page, for I cry longing for you beside me. Every second bereft of my warmth, my fire, is like an eternity spent buried under the ice of the South Pole. Being left to my own thoughts curdles me. I need my Zuko back. But for now I must be content with thinking of you, imagining my Fire Lord. My imagination does me no justice. As long as I am away from you, I am discontent. Maybe you could indulge me a fantasy tonight, a reverie of intimacy. If I were with you, and you were by my side I think I would take some special liberties tonight._

"Special liberties?" Zuko asked himself, getting a bit hard, he pressed the letter to his chest. No one had ever written a love letter to him before. He looked at the paper and did see where a few drops had fallen "Where will that mind of his venture next?

 _Let me lie beside you and wrap my arms around you. Let me snuggle up to you and and hold you close to me. I need your warmth, for without you there is an icebox where my heart ought to be. Without you, I can't think of a meaningful reason for being. You are my sunshine, my moon, my stars._

It occurred to Zuko just then that Sokka had called him the moon. Yue had been forgotten. Sokka had fallen deep for him. But Zuko couldn't fathom why Sokka could love him.

 _These things I know. When I am able to go freely to your bedchamber next, or you come to mine I want to be close to you. We can save the lovemaking for the next night. But the first time I am able to lay knowing, weary eyes on you, I want them to look upon you body yearning to be closer._

Zuko stopped reading there. He had had enough. He was depressed about it. He felt so unworthy of all this. He looked to the telephone, the direct line to Sokka. He hesitated a bit, but after some consideration took the plunge. He grabbed the telephone and waited as it rang in Sokka's room. Zuko had not realized, but he had started crying again.

"Hello." Sokka answered, eagerly as he had been waiting. "Did you get my letter?"

"Sokka," Zuko ignored him. "Sokka," Zuko sniffled letting Sokka know that he was deeply upset, "Sokka, why do you love me?"

"Are you alright, Zuko?"

Zuko was sobbing openly now, the tears running down and dampening his shirt, "Just why, Sokka? I'm such a fucking mess. Every day I pad around this palace knowing, fearing that the people will see me for the scared teenager I am. What have I done that's good? What good have I added to the world? Why do you waste your time on me?!" Zuko yelled. Thank goodness the Fire Lord's bedchamber was soundproof.

"-" It was silence on the other end and then the distinct click.

Less than two seconds later. There was a frantic knocking at the door. Zuko didn't move. So, Sokka used his key and opened the door to the apartment. He closed and locked it behind him. Sokka walked through the darkened drawing room, and through the sitting room and reached the door to Zuko's bedchamber.

He knocked on that set of doors too. Zuko still did not move.

"Zuko open the door!"

Nothing.

"Open the door, Zuko!"

Silence.

"Zuko, open the door or so help me I'll kick it down." Sokka tried the key and realized that the key might work. It did and Sokka walked into the room.

"Zuko what's wrong?"

"Why do you love me?" Zuko asked sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I love you because you're you. And with you being you, I can be me. I don't have to be a soldier, or the chief's son. I don't have to put on my suit of armor and pretend to be Sokka the Braveheart. I can just be the gay, happy go lucky boy I really am with you." Sokka reiterated the question. "Why do I love you, Zuko? I love you because every second I spend with you, I feel complete. I feel at ease. I feel like I don't have to do or say anything to be happy. When I was in my room alone, I felt so lonely without you. When I even let myself think about you leaving me…"

"I would never leave you." Zuko said, "I never will."

"I know I love you because the weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders with those words. I don't want to leave you, and I never want you to leave me."

Zuko had stopped crying by now, "How much do you love me, Sokka?"

"Count all the stars in the sky, Zuko. Measure the waters of the ocean with a teaspoon. Tell me how many heartbeats you've ever had. Tell me how much we want to make love to each other. Impossible, you say. And it's just as impossible for me to tell you how much I love you." Sokka said, walking to the bed. He walked to where Zuko was sitting, feet touching the floor. Sokka went over and knelt before Zuko. "I'd be a stammering mess if I tried to put into words how much I love you Zuko. Now tell me what's the matter." Sokka looked up into Zuko's eyes, worried that his boyfriend was so upset. "Why are you so upset?"

"I keep pretending as if this is all right. I keep you away from the world. I keep you caged like a bird. And I don't know why the caged bird sings."

"I sing because I'm happy." Sokka answered without missing a beat, "And I am not a caged bird, Zuko. I'm not your prisoner and you don't feel like my warden, I am here with you freely. Freely in love with you. I can't picture my life with you. I can't be happy without you."

"Don't leave me, Sokka." Zuko said, "Let's do what your note says, just be with me."

"Are you sure, Zuko?"

"Yes, I don't want you to be taken away from me ever again."

Sokka was in his pajamas, so there was nothing more for him to do. He slid into bed and wrapped his arms around Zuko. In that moment he realized just how vulnerable they both were. They knew there would be some blowback in the morning. Neither of them cared.


	20. The Truth

I've been neglecting this work. I'm sorry about that, but I'm back now, and I'm committed. I hope this chapter reinvigorates you and me. I am definitely not giving this up, especially the political angles.

* * *

Friday, October 12th, 1900, Zuko's Bedchamber 7:30

They were awake, but had not gotten out of bed. They were saying sweet nothings to each other. Well, some of those things were sweet nothings. Most of them were not fit to be repeated outside of their presence, and most people would be appalled to know that the Fire Lord was capable of such lewdness. They both had dirty minds, and they both knew it. Sokka was the big spoon, and he held Zuko in his arms. He brushed his hands over Zuko's bare chest from time to time. A part of him still could not believe that he was the Fire Lord's lover. He wanted only to be able to love him more openly, almost as a civil right. The right had been extended to the common people, but the status of the Fire Lord always demanded steadiness. Zuko's coming out would be entirely too much in that moment. People could and would change, but the adjustments had to be incremental. In the meantime, at least, they could stay together and enjoy the closet with some semblance of coziness and safety.

"Zuko," Sokka called his lover's name during one of the chaste interludes of their conversation, his voice still husky.

"Yes." Zuko was awake, but in a sleepy cloud of Sokka's warmth.

"Promise me something."

"Anything, Sokka." Zuko answered, mind awake, eyes closed. Somehow, in Sokka's presence, Zuko could be relaxed and at complete attention. He could be alert yet carefree.

"Promise me, that the second we can, we can live openly. I want people to know I love you."

"I promise. Can you promise me something?" Zuko managed to get even deeper into Sokka's embrace. He wished he could disappear into that hug forever.

"Yes." Sokka answered, "Anything."

"Promise me you'll never stop loving me."

"Are you kidding? I could never stop loving you." Sokka answered, "And I promise that I won't."

"Why can't we live in simpler times. Why do we have to be princes? Why can't we just be normal?"

"It's the hand we were dealt." Sokka said, "But I'm supposed to be the pessimist. Let me show you the bright side of things. Outside of these walls, there are millions and millions of people who love you, look to you for comfort, and praise you. They love you all over these islands Zuko. You're the Fire Lord, their Fire Lord. Without you, this nation and all the good that I see in it, all the good I see in its people, would be lost. And Zuko, you get to live like a king, being waited on hand and foot, commanding armies, ensuring the welfare of your people. You've been doing a good job. You're like the sun that lights up the world right now. People look all over and see peace and harmony, or, at least, they see the chance of peace in our time."

"And what do _you_ see when you look at me?" Zuko asked.

"I see my best friend, my one and only lover. And he's a good lover, an _excellent_ lover at that. I would go on, but you're more to me than just the warmest bed on the planet. I see my best friend, the only one who knows everything there is to know about me and encourages me to be a better Sokka everyday. I see the only person, man or woman, who can make me smile on the inside, who can me giggle from nerves, who can set my nerves on fire from one look, one touch, one word. I see the only man who can command me, thrill me, and fill me with emotions and sensations I never felt before. He happens to be the Fire Lord and I'm okay with that. I love you, no matter if you're a king or a commoner. I love you because of the beautiful soul you share more and more with me every day. I'm complete when I'm around you, and you just happen to be the Fire Lord. I can't continue without you. That's what I think about you, and I'm thinking about how I want people to know these things,"

"Thank you." Zuko said, flattered.

"You're welcome." The tribesman answered.

"Sokka." Zuko called out.

"Yes," He answered.

"Do you think we should just come clean to all our friends? I mean, Aang knows, I'm sure Toph suspects, but your sister. I… I don't want to lie to her anymore. Every time I see her, I just think of what we're not telling her and I'm ashamed. Not of what we have and what we are but that she doesn't know. You mean too much to me to remain just whispers and kisses in the night. I… uh, it's your call if you want to. I mean, every time I see you, I see what my life can be, what happiness actually means in a miserable, miserable world."

"Oh," Sokka stuttered out, "I wasn't expecting that only because I- Actually, Zuko, do you want the truth?"

"What is it?" Zuko asked.

"Well, over the last few weeks, I've been thinking long and hard about it, wrestling with myself. I was working up the nerve to ask you if I could tell her about us."

"Yes, I would like that," The Fire Lord replied, pleased that Sokka and he had been thinking along the same lines.

"I didn't think that I would be able to a few weeks ago, but I've grown up about it. You're not my dirty little secret. But I can on one, and only one condition."

"Anything." Zuko answered.

"You have to be by my side when I tell them. You have to sit with me and hold my hand." Sokka's request was simple, but certainly was not easy.

"Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way, Sokka. I mean, I know it's not fair at all. I don't have anyone to confess to, but I'll support you anyway I can. I hope you don't feel like I'm forcing you into this, Sokka. If you really don't want to do this, please don't let me force you into this."

"No, Zuko, I can't have Katara leaving to go back someplace without her knowing me, the real me. I kept denying myself and my attraction to you, to men for the longest, it's time to tell the truth. I… I was actually trying to work up the guts to tell her. I don't know how she'll react. On the one hand, I think that she'll be fine because she's so into preaching about the meaning of love. But, on the other hand, she's _preaching,_ and spirits only know what a preacher actually thinks when their beliefs are put to the test. Whatever the case, tonight we're sleeping in the same bed, and we're doing more than just sleeping." Sokka's hand reached lower down his lover's body, stopping on Zuko's abs.

"Oh really?" Zuko, laughing, ground his hips into Sokka. "I think I'd like that. My mind and body has been craving you for a long time, water prince. The fire that burns inside me needs to be put out."

"Nothing can put that out." Sokka spoke the truth, "Your sexual appetite is so voracious, man. Those rumors about Fire Nationals being horny all the time and great in bed was true. I mean, you just don't quit. You know what the good thing is, though, Zuko?"

"What?"

"You're horniness is contagious, and it's catching. You're bringing something out of me Zuko. I am much more… I don't have a word for it."

"Well, what we have is beyond words, physicality, intellect, and emotion." Zuko said. "I don't have any words for it either. I just call it love."

"I think that's about right, Zuko." Sokka replied.

* * *

They got dressed, and Sokka put on some new Water Tribe clothes fashioned for him in the Fire Nation. Basically, it consisted of Fire Nation attire, but dyed blue with natural indigo. Sokka loved it. It was the best of both worlds. He liked the look of Fire Nation clothing, how modern it was, and how smooth and wonderful it felt in his skin. He did love his national colors, however. He hoped very much for a world where people moved away from wearing their nation's color and moved on to a place where people wore what they wanted, when they wanted (within reason of course). Hopefully his new ensemble would be a first step. He also thought that the new country forming on the Earth continent's west coast would bring about wearing whatever color one wanted.

He met with Zuko in the Fire Lord's Quarters and greeted his boyfriend, fully dressed in his new blue suit.

"You look marvelous, absolutely marvelous." Zuko started, "I'm serious, you are looking very handsome in those clothes. Enough for me to want you to take them off again, but we have work to do, don't we." Zuko reacted, walking towards him. "The tailor did me a service." Zuko drew closer and circled his boyfriend in particular inspection. The Fire Lord took a serious look at every possible angle, his own robes looking and feeling regal.

"Did you a service?" Sokka raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Oh yes," Zuko said from behind him, "You're perfectly decent, but I can still see how very toned and chiseled you keep yourself."

"Well, I have someone to impress," Sokka said, "Somehow I think he wouldn't like me too flabby so I keep in shape. I practice my swordsmanship as much as I practice my statecraft. Day and night I exercise my mind and body to meet the challenges of the world, but more to live up to all the things you need."

"Well, I'm grateful," Zuko said coming back to Sonja's front. He grabbed both of Sokka's hands in his own, "I need some brains and brawn behind me, and _inside_ me from time to time."

"Oh, don't I know it."

"Sokka?" Zuko asked as he was still in handlocks with his boyf.

"Yes."

"I want to try Ember Island again, soon. I owe you something for the rocky start to our relationship. Not tomorrow but maybe in a few weeks. I want to do something for you. Show you how much I appreciate you."

"Thanks, but you don't have to." Sokka resisted.

"No, I want to and I will." Zuko said. "I'm the Fire Lord and it's my will."

"Yes, milord." Sokka answered, wanting to assuage whatever it was in Zuko that made him so hellbent on serving. Zuko had been so humbled in his life that Sokka wanted to remind him of the respect he commanded. Zuko was the only person capable of distilling some very powerful emotions from the brewing stewing mess called Sokka. Zuko's unparalleled power to burn away all the superfluous ideas, cognitive dissonances, self-defeating thoughts only proved to be another reason he found their whole secret arrangement attractive. Sokka was in love not only with who Zuko was, but he found himself falling for what Zuko meant. Zuko was a person, and growing to be an idea. Sokka's mind needed to justify and classify everything. When he considered all of his current circumstances and when he contemplated the strange string of events that guided him from a modest igloo to living in the Fire Lord's palace–he came to the conclusion that this palace, this relationship, this time, place, and love was his rightful, truthful place.

Without a doubt, and, if he were being frank, urgently, he needed to tell his sister what the truth had always been. He had heard before that the truth sets one free. He agreed. Despite, her possible reaction, Sokka felt the need to let her know. He was tired of sneaking and hiding from his family. As far as he was concerned, the world did not need to know anything. It would keep turning and revolving around the sun. But his family needed to know. He wasn't dying, but a newly discovered part of him, a facet which had always been there but was ignored, needed to be acknowledged, or, at the very least, revealed. He steeled his nerves to tell them altogether what he liked, what the true nature of Zuko and his relationship was, how it happened, and why.

Breakfast was in the State Dining Room because the Avatar was in town. So Sokka would wait until they were alone again, in one of the private rooms. It would be a distraction away from the talks of world peace. If things went his way, and they did from time to time, the disruption would be short. It would last for a few minutes rather than hours or days.

* * *

10:25

Breakfast passed and the time to meet came. Sokka's confidence had faded while he was eating. He managed to keep the food all down, but nothing was going to make this easy. He felt a bit selfish for the blindsiding he was about to give his sister, but it was better that he was in control of the news lest it get into the press somehow. They each took a seat in the room, this time Sokka sitting next to Zuko on one of the red couches. The wood table obscured the important fact that Sokka was holding Zuko's hand on top of one of the cushions. As a result, Zuko's heart was racing, his cheeks were warm and red, he had butterflies in his stomach, and his toes were wiggling in his toes, a result of the tension that had been building. All of these things were obscure to the seeing, but Toph could feel all of the physiological signals. She attempted to go for a knowing smirk, but her smile kept growing too wide to maintain aloofness. You see, she was actually happy for them. She had known the energy between them for months, and she wanted for them to be happy. She would have gone to the grave with their secret, but never wanted them to. She knew that they knew, and it made her happy, sappily happy.

Katara was simple staring at the clothing that Sokka wore because it suited him, literally. She was a bit jealous of the tailoring that Sokka's clothes had. She had resolved to herself, while she sipped her coffee that morning, that she would ask Zuko's to let her get some new clothes from his tailor. She would have definitely liked to have an appointment with him or her.

There was one thing that strange about this whole situation, though. Someone was absent, and that mattered a great deal to Sokka. The person's absence concerned him so much now that he noticed. He spoke and asked,

"Where's Suki?"

"She left late last night," Katara stated matter-of-factly, "We argued about you last night. She was convinced that- Well, never mind. She said that Zuko had broken you up to have you all to himself. She basically said that Zuko sort of imperialized you. She said she going to find her way back to Kyoshi last night and never wants to see any of us again."

"I don't miss her." Toph declared.

"She gave me this," Katara reached into her pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope, "I tried to give it to you last night, but I couldn't find you anywhere. I looked all over the place, but I stopped before I got turned around in all these hallways."

Sokka took the letter in his hand and opened it. The room grew silent as he opened the envelope, unfolded the letter, and let his eyes find the beginning. The paper felt like a ton in his hands, the words he had imagined her saying were playing through his head on a constant loop. He stopped himself from panicking complete and committed his eyes to the sheet before him. He read it aloud:

 _Sokka,_ _I have decided to leave. I have decided to let go of you. And, for the benefit of my sanity, I have decided, once and for all to be done in this enterprise of living you and these enterprises of keeping peace._ _You have insulted me on multiple occasions, called our love and relationship meaningless, and so disregarded any and all things I have done not only for you, but for us. You have so insultingly said that we were nothing. You have so dismissively cleared your mind of any affection that we shared. And, it is YOU who have so destroyed anything that we could have built. I had been kind, gentle, patient, and above all steadfast to you. My life, purity, modesty, and virginity were all staked upon my love for you and only you. The reward for my femininity was abuse, lies, deceit, and a casual end to what had meant something to us._ _I also leave you now because I know that you are conniving at the end to my kingdom. Your commitment to the cause of the Fire Nation astounds and ashames me. For ten decades, the Nation you now serve so loyally and unctuously, waged war against all the civilized people of the Earth. For one hundred years, the World has suffered at the hands of the imperialists that sat on the throne to which you now kowtow and grovel so obediently. For an entire bloody century, your master's ancestors have ordered directly and been so grievously complicit in the wanton deaths of millions, including your own mother. Time after time, you set me aside as unimportant, but setting me aside callously to be an errand boy for the Fire Lord is the ultimate insult, and I, for one, will not be made into a eunuch's whore._ _I will go home and speak to His Majesty the Earth King about what looks like a trap set up for him._ _Responding is futile. I don't care to acknowledge your existence ever again. Let our relationship, like the common trash you serve never go down in history. Let what we had be no more._ _Good riddance,_ _Suki_

"That fucking bitch." Katara spat out. Everyone in the room was lucky that Katara was not a firebender because if she was, the entire palace would have burned down. "How dare she speak to you that way. And then, she doesn't even say it to your face. She just ups and leaves." She looked at her brother and noted his lack of reaction. "You sure are taking this a lot better that I am, Sokka."

"There's nothing more I can do. What's done is done, and I'm happy that's over now," Sokka admitted. "I never, and we never have to see her again. If I can be so calm about it, you can too Katara."

"Fine," Katara stated, "I'll calm down." She proceeded to do some of the calming breathing exercises Aang had taught her to put Suki's nonsense out of her mind.

"I don't know what got into her." Toph started, realizing the depth of moment, "It's like when the War ended, she snapped. Something about that last battle, something about the time she was separated from us, Sokka, tells me that something happened that she never told us about. I mean, since then, she has been in constant fight or flight mode. Whatever happened in those ten minutes changed her from the Suki we know into this monster we've been dealing with lately. Something's the matter with her. Seriously, even when she was sleeping, all she did was toss and turn. To me, it was like something got into her. It's like some demon took her over and is writing some crazy stuff into her head."

They fell into a knowing silence. Toph had not thought of Suki being strange from that moment forward. Nor had Aang or Katara. By the time Suki came back into Sokka's life after those couple of days, he was already hooked on Zuko (even if he didn't know it). By that point, Sokka wouldn't have noticed if she had gained the ability to fly. Zuko had so enraptured and distracted him that Suki's strange attitude only made the emotional separation easier. Whatever drove her insane would have to wait. Sokka was going to take this moment to… you know.

"Well, Sokka," Katara added, "I'm glad that that is over, and you can move on big brother."

"Well, um, that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about today." Sokka said, speaking. A lump was forming in his throat and he felt like the word was upon his shoulders. He grabbed Zuko's hand again, and looked over to his right at Zuko. The Fire Lord turned his head to look his boyfriend in the eye. Zuko gave a nod as if to say "it's okay." They both looked forward again and looked across the table at the Avatar. The monk gave a small smile of approval.

"What is it Sokka?" Katara asked, a look of innocence on her face.

"Well, um… You obviously know that I took the job as an advisor to Zuko here in the Fire Nation. I took it because I wanted to help my friend try to establish a new, lasting peace the best way he could. I took the job because I knew that if I did not, I would be leaving Zuko alone, with no verifiable allies to run the most powerful country on the planet. I stayed here because I knew it was the right thing to do and because I liked him."

Sokka stopped there hoping that those words would be enough for Katara to catch his drift. She did not, so he continued.

"Well, the more I have worked with him, the more I have liked him. And I realized he liked me back. Katara, Zuko and I… Zuko and I…" Sokka's throat felt like someone was forcing him to swallow a gallon of sand. He fought through and finally managed to put the sentence together, "Zuko and I have been dating for about a week now. Well if I'm honest, we've been together since I took that job."

"Wait, what?" Katara asked, astonished "Dating? You two?"

"Yeah," Sokka confirmed it.

"Wow," She said, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"Well, um, how do you feel about it, Katara? And you can be honest with me." Sokka said, looking at his sister.

"I'm happy for you two." Katara said truthfully. Toph verified that Katara was happy. The Tribeswoman spoke again, "I'm happy, just surprised. I mean…" Katara stopped and thought quickly about all of the experiences she had gone through with her brother, "Actually, now that I think about it," her hand was resting on her chin, now that she was all wistful, "Now that I actually think about it, it all does make sense. You always have been more open than any other man I've met. You're not overly emotional, but you were always more open and exploratory than any person I knew. You always had strong feelings towards things you liked and loved and if Zuko is one of those things, I'm not going to stop you. You're my big brother, my protector, and my hero, and this changes nothing."

"Thank you, Katara. That means a lot." Sokka said, fighting back tears.

Katara addressed the Fire Lord now, "Zuko are you treating my brother right?"

"Yes, of course I am." Zuko whispered, blushing in an interesting mixture of embarrassment and joy.

"Good," Katara responded, her voice turned to ice, "You better keep treating him right or I _will kill_ you. Understood?"

"Understood." Zuko believed her because, after all, she was telling the truth. He remembered the fear he felt when she threatened him about hurting Aang. This time, the feeling was multiplied ten times. When he considered that she had the power to stop someone's heart beating, it became abundantly clear that no matter how high he was, no matter how many people called him 'Your Majesty', no matter how many guards her had, she could and would end him.

"So," Toph barged into the conversation again, mercifully ending the awkwardness for Zuko, "Who made the first move?"

"What?" Zuko asked, now embarrassed beyond his wildest dreams.

"Who made the first move?" Toph reiterated.

"Zuko did," Sokka answered, "He thought that I was asleep, well kind of passed out, and he sorta confessed."

"Yeah." Zuko answered, blushing,

"HA!" Toph pointed at Aang, "You owe me 10 gold pieces. Pay up Twinkletoes."

"Fine, but let's get everything answered first." Aang said, "I might still come out on top. Who says I don't want some Beifong bullion?

"What? You two had a bet about them?" Katara asked, "Why didn't you tell me that you had known?"

"It wasn't our place to tell." Aang said genuinely.

"Well," Zuko said, chuckling, feeling all the tension in both of them melting away "Fine, but it's not fair. It concerns us, but I'm not getting any money out of it."

Toph remarked sarcastically, "Well, sorry, _Your Majesty_ , but this bet is between internationals."

"Using Fire Nation coin." Zuko reminded, "And I'll have you know that the tax on betting in the Fire Nation is thirty percent."

"Since when?" Toph asked, sensing that he was lying.

"Since, right now. I _am_ the Law, Toph." Zuko reminded her, giving her a piece, the most important piece, of the Fire Nation's unwritten Constitution. "If I say it, it's the law."

"Wh-"

"I'll make an exception for my friends." Zuko joked, "I almost don't want to know what else you two have been wagering on. At least, not right now."

"Fine," Toph answered, "We'll tease it out of you, Zuko, but not the same way Sokka does. I'm not capable of it, and Aang isn't interested in trying."

The gay couple blushed, still holding hands, beneath the table, on the couch.

"Sokka," Katara's face turned to one of complete horror, "I… You don't think Suki knows, do you?"

"I-" Sokka struggled to answer.

"I mean from the tone of the letter. You know, the whole calling you a 'whore' thing. It sounded like maybe she was putting it together." She continued.

"No, I never said or did anything to suggest that I was with Zuko. I mean, for most of this time, I wasn't really completely involved. I don't think she knows anything…" The Tribesman answered.

"You sound unsure, Sokka." Katara replied. "I mean, if we were regular kids, this would mean nothing, but Fate forbid she knows about you two…"

Zuko spoke, putting it all together, "Fuck...If she knows, and if she goes to Ba Sing Se and speaks to Kuei, the Earth King could use this as leverage to extort me, or worse, extort the Fire Nation." Zuko got up and walked to the desk on the opposite side of the room. Sitting on that desk was a special telephone, one that connected straight to Hashi's office.

"This isn't good at all," Sokka said, "Who would think that Zuko would be my boyfriend and that Suki would be the antagonist of my life?" He was not asking anyone in particular, and he knew any answers he would receive would be wholly insufficient to dissipate any of the negative emotions running through his head. He felt guilty for putting Zuko in this position, ashamed, for having to remain the Fire Lord's secret, and a bit disillusioned. He was disillusioned that after a century of War, who Zuko was dating became nothing more than leverage.

They all turned their attention to Zuko. Zuko had finally gotten a hold of Hashi and they listened to his half of the conversation.

"Yes, I need to see you immediately… It is urgent… Yes, come right away… Thank you."

* * *

Hashi arrived a couple of minutes later, holding some of the files he thought would be pertinent to any emergency that may have arisen.

He bowed to Zuko, who was still standing. The Sage rose again and looked his Master in the eyes. He did not like the concern he saw. "My Lord, is there an emergency?"

"Not an emergency as such, but an urgent concern."

"Sire?" The Sage was thoroughly confused.

"Suki left here last night, and she's no longer on our side as far as these negotiations with the Earth King are concerned. As I say, I don't believe this to be an emergency, but I need some assurance that she is not going to compromise the Fire Nation's negotiating position in these talks."

"My Liege," Hashi started, "Do You know how much information she knows about our positions?"

"No, but some of the details she knows are _very sensitive._ " Zuko stated.

"My Lord," He started, if you do not mind my asking, are they treasonable details? National security level?"

"Yes, High Treasonable." The Sovereign responded.

"Goodness me." Hashi said, only because he could not swear in front of his Sovereign.

"Yes."

"How long ago did she leave?"

"Why?" Zuko asked.

"Well, how long ago she left determines what options are viable. If she did not leave that long ago, and could still be the country, we could have her arrested and bring her back to you. If, on the other hand, she's not in the Fire Nation, the best we can offer is to have someone follow her and report her movements to us. If she goes home, then we can be assured that she is not sharing any secrets. If she goes to Ba Sing Se, then maybe we can have cause for concern. The Fire Nation's size aids us. The quickest way out of here is on sky bison or on one of the dirigibles."

"Well, she only left about eight hours ago." Toph answered.

"And Appa was there as of an hour ago, so she doesn't have a sky bison." Aang added.

"I can check, Milord, if any Fire Nation aircraft are missing. If any were, we would have gotten a report about it."

"Good," Zuko replied, sitting down again. To use a colonial term, he dodged a bullet. If they could get her back to the palace and dissuade her from saying anything.

"And is she only left at about 0200 hours on foot, she may still be on this island. If she took a train and a ferry. She could only be two or three islands away at most."

"Good, we need to find her," Zuko replied.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED...


	21. Reunion, Part Two

Sunday, October 14th, 1900, Zuko's Drawing Room, 9:55 PM

The others had left and gone about other business, leaving the lovers alone together. Aang had had a mind for some exercise, so he went out onto the Palace Green and practiced his tai chi, an art form that he had neglected since the end of the War. He had started alone, but several Palace workers who were on break joined him. By the time he was done, he hat a throng of about sixty people behind him, who continued the slow, but exhausting exercise. He then went back in and used one of those wall mounted showers for the first time. He enjoyed it. The next thing he wanted was to enjoy it with Katara, but that lewdness was beyond the point.

Katara had used the opportunity to seek out the tailor she wanted and stood in to be measured. Funnily enough, it turned out that she hated the entire process, having to stand still.

Toph went straight to the so-called 'Close Dining Room', an intimate space near to Fire Lord's Room and within the Regal Wing. It was a rather small room compared to the rest of the place, but it was roomy enough to seat five people very comfortably. This made no difference to her, but the room was lit by dim lamps. The dark shades of burgundy and maroon, let the flames dance around in an elegant darkness that piqued the senses. The gold trim on May of the surfaces reflected enough light for the room to be lit satisfactorily, but the atmosphere was nonetheless romantic. Zuko had not used the room only because he did not need rumors to start about him. If Zuko ever used the room, it would have to be alone, or with composed of more the two of them. One day, he hoped to use the room freely, but that day had not yet arrived. So he kept this room as a little secret he could use to woo the prince he sought so badly. Be assured that this was not the only secret.

Anyway, back to Toph: she used the room to sample the best cuisine that the Fire Nation has to offer. She left that little, but stylish room sure of a few things. First and foremost in her mind, Fire Nation food was delicious. Second, Zuko's chefs were better than the Earth King's. Third, she probably ate enough of that great food to make her gain five pounds. Lastly, and most urgently, she needed to go to bed and take a nap. She resolved to go back to her room and sleep off her food high. She followed through.

So, whether their friends and family meant to or not, the friends left the perfect opportunity for the boyfriends to talk. Sokka was sitting up on the edge of one of the sofas, and Zuko lie down on Sokka, cuddling him.

"That went a lot better than I had expected," Zuko started, "I thought that Katara would be a bit freaked out or surprised, but she…" Zuko trailed off.

"She wasn't." Sokka answered, "I don't know what it is with women, but they know. They just know. Somehow, deep down inside me, I get the feeling that Suki knew that there was something wrong. I think she may have realized I was drifting closer to you or at least that I sure as hell wasn't interested in him at all."

"When do you think it started?" Zuko asked.

"I think really… that night I asked you to help me get Suki back from the Boiling Rock. That is when this all started, I suppose. That night, through all the awkwardness and misunderstandings, we managed to establish the framework for what we have now. During the rescue efforts, we managed to put together a trust and friendship that sprouted, I guess. We weren't sensing it yet, but there was probably something there."

The Fire Lord paused and pondered before stating sheepishly, "Maybe Sokka… maybe. All I know is that while we were going to the Boiling Rock, I did ask myself why and how I could've hated you so much. I just thought back to when all I wanted to get the Avatar and would kill anyone who got in my way."

"Yes and I would have had no qualms in killing you, at the beginning at least. But that scares me, what I could've and would've done. Just to think that nine months later, I would be sitting here cuddling you makes me… I don't know how to feel. I guess that I'm glad that I'm cuddling you instead of killing you."

"A hundred years of pain and suffering and strife and hurt can't simply vanish. We can't just forget that the nineteenth century existed. I can't just get rid of all the turmoil inside me for the things my nation, my people, my family, and I personally have done to the world can't be undone. It can't simply be washed away because I'm the new Fire Lord. All I can hope for is to escape all of this insufferable madness from time to time."

"And can you?" Sokka asked.

"Only when I'm with you." Zuko answered honestly, "Maybe it's that way for everyone. I know that when I'm with you I'm good, better, and best."

"What does that mean?" Sokka asked.

"It means that when I'm with you, I feel good by default. When I'm with you, I feel better about myself and my life than I would without you. And finally, when I'm with you, I actually feel like a king, I feel like a lucky man, I feel like I found the best thing ever, and I feel the best I ever felt for having you by my side."

"Well, Zuko, as long as we stick this out, I think that Aang, you, and I can make this world more peaceful. If you have to keep me close to your vest, that's okay with me because I'm close to your heart."

"So, with all of that… What will you tell Suki when we find her? If she figured us out, then there's nothing to dissuade her from hurting you. If she doesn't know, then you dispatching the entire Nation's police forces and troops makes it look like you realized that you loved her or something…"

Realizing that Zuko was correct, Sokka tensed up. Then and there, he realized that he, and he alone had to solve the Suki situation. The Tribesman was quite adamant with his noext thought, "I have to speak with her and deal with this. And Zuko?"

"Yes?" The Fire Lord asked, feeling a ball of uneasiness dorm inside his core.

"I have to do it alone. I can't have Aang, Katara, Toph or even you there."

"I know." Answered Zuko, "That's probably best because if she tries anything feisty, I- I don't think I can be held responsible for what I'll do." The Fire Lord did not realize it, but the potential of the situation going south caused the Fire Lord to react physically react the way any master firebender would. Zuko's skin was still its normal white color, his eyes were still their luxurious gold hue, his long jet black hair remained in place, but his internals were on fire.

"Calm down, Zuko," Sokka warned, "Your skin is so hot to the touch. I didn't know firebenders could get so hot so quickly."

"I'm sorry," Zuko exhaled some gray smoke, and his body returned to the normal temperature of a firebender, 100 degrees flat. With some of the heavenly smoke still exiting his mouth, "I'm… I just love you is all, Sokka, and I get jealous. I guess I'm a romantic, so what can I say? It's not you who I don't trust, it's her. And all women have their wiles for getting what they want. If she tries anything-"

"I love you too Zuko, and I know you trust me." Sokka didn't need Zuko in a bad mood. Inhaling some of the smoke and savoring its iconic scent, Sokka shuddered and realized more how much he craved Zuko. "That smells good, Zuko. I don't know what to call it. If passion was something that could be sensed, that would be it."

What Sokka didn't realize was that the smoke was scented like hickory. There was no wonder about why he liked it so much, but there was no need to tell him that.

They said nothing for a while, and the hours passed in comfortable embrace. There were a few words that were blue, in all senses of the word. The world's problems were as nothing to the teenage angsts that still plagued the couple. Sokka thought it funny that who he dated affected the world political situation in a way that was too real to have even be dreamt up by the devil. Zuko only commented that Sokka's dick had too much power over people. Sokka reminded Zuko that, in real physical and biological terms, Zuko was the only person to have ever experienced its power. The Fire Lord couldn't help but blush. More silence followed, in a cycle of speeches. It went something like this: Silence, lovey-dovey-ness, sensuality, sexuality, and then a final completely pornographic comment that made them both stiffen slightly, throb, and return to normal.

The phone rang just before eleven o'clock. Getting up, Zuko exhaled amouther puff of smoke to relax himself and not give away any of his emotions to Hashi or whoever was calling. He picked up the phone and faced that same wall. Sokka turned his body to watch Zuko and, in the meantime, got a nice view of Zuko's ass. Let's say that Sokka didn't just sneak a peak, but he watched it like one of those 'picture-shows' Aang had told him so much about.

Again, Sokka could only hear Zuko's half of the conversation:

"Hello… How long ago?" Zuko's voice changed into one of shock and dismay. He turned to Sokka as he continued to speak into the phone, " _What?...Where?_... _Are you sure about that?_..." Zuko regained his composure, "Thank you… Yes, we'll you in a bit, thank you."

Zuko hung up the phone and turned to his boyfriend again. His voice was confusion, "I can't believe it."

"What?" Sokka looked into his golden eyes and saw nothing but perplexity.

"She turned herself in about twenty minutes ago." Zuko answered.

" _What?_ " The confusion was contagious, and Sokka caught it.

"She heard the bulletin somehow and turned herself in at a local police station."

"These are some strange times, Zuko." That was all Sokka could muster.

* * *

Having been woken up from an uneasy slumber, the Gaang, our favorite heroes and heroines, made their way to the one of the great halls. This Hall was by the Western Gate of the palace and was lined with great paintings of the previous Fire Lord. The Gaang, now joined only by Hashi, stood along the wall as children did in school. Zuko and Sokka stood in the middle of the corridor together, with the former being the man who issued the warrant and the later being the only one who could resolve it. Within a few moments, the grand black door that led to the outside opened. A whoosh of cool night air entered the palace, as did Suki and the police officers who had apprehended her. When they stepped in, the deputies could not help but marvel at the grandeur of the place. One was short and fat, the other was tall and lanky. They looked like a comedy troupe, especially with how Suki looked. Dirty, disheveled, but in no way harmed, Suki walked in behind them, manacled, complacent, and bearing a smile that was inexplicable to everyone except her. She was not awestruck because she had seen it all before, and she was scheming something strange.

"My Lord," one of the officers said, "Suki Moon is here. We found her not too long ago."

"Thank you, Officer," Zuko said, "Now, please uncuff her."

"Yes, My Liege." The officer unmanacled her hands, and she proceeded to rub her wrists for a moment. The manacles were too tight on her wrists and her hands were slightly numb, but she was regaining the feeling in her hands. She waited for a brief moment to get all the sensation back before she acted.

Now, no one, and I do mean, no person could have known what was next. Suki, wordlessly, effortlessly, and most especially gracefully, floated as if over nothingness toward Sokka. Zuko anticipated and stepped back to the wall, standing next to Hashi. Without warning, but without any sort of obvious haste she moved towards Sokka. He felt almost paralyzed she made her move. She closed the space between them like a seductress would. She viewed his lack of movement as his being enchanted by her charms. It was more like him being scared to death.

She embraced him tenderly before leaning up and in to kiss him. Sokka tried with all his might to resist her without assaulting her (i.e. punching the shit out of her and knocking her out), but she was able to land squarely on his lips. From Toph's perspective, she could feel all of the emotions. Hashi was plainly dumbfounded, as were Katara and Aang. Suki was in love, hopeful, and downright ecstatic at the possibility that she may be with Sokka again.

Sokka's body gave a repulsed reaction as if someone had poisoned him. Interested, she dug deeper and realized that he, with all his might. was suppressing the urge to vomit there and then. Sokka has turned cold and clammy as if he was going to pass out, but Toph knew he was going to hang on. Sokka fought his way out of the kiss and gasped for air only to further suppress the urge to reproduce his dinner.

If Toph thought Sokka's reaction was bad, she did not know the depths to which Zuko's emotions could descend. His face remained blank, stoic, and unimpressed with the sight before him. And again, his skin did not even show a sign of blush. Meanwhile, his adrenaline was flowing the same as it had when he was fighting his sister in the final battle, that final fierce Agni Kai of the War. Toph sensed this and went against her better judgement, stepping into a fire. She looked into his feelings and the only appropriate word she could come up with was 'homicidal'. She was amazed that he could be appear so calm on the outside while his internal temperature has surpassed boiling point. It was only for the design of a firebender that he did not die from burning so hot. For the first time in a while, Toph actually felt scared and spoke up. She knew that she

"Let's let these two sort this out, guys." She spoke as she walked towards Zuko. Her put-upon innocence was effective, since she was able to drag him away. She grabbed his hand, which was very hot to the touch and dragged him back towards the drawing room. "Let's have some ice cream, Zuko. I want some ice cream."

The Gaang followed Zuko and Toph like a funeral cortège. Hashi murmured something to the police officers, and they left severely confused as to what the hell just happened. Determined to be as far away from the teenage drama as possible, Hashi stepped away from the non-couple, almost running away.

"So, we're alone now." Suki whispered to Sokka, still embracing him. Whatever was the matter with her, she did not notice or care that she was hugging a statue. Sokka was lifeless, but for her a hug was enough.

"Yes, we are." Sokka said, his voice cracking from deep embarrassment.

"I knew you'd send for me. I knew you wouldn't just let me leave. You know I love you too much…"

"I know." Sokka tried to disentangle himself from her clutches, but she seemed like some sort of octopus, always finding another grip. "How about we sit somewhere and talk about this? No yelling, no anger, just you and I speaking and being honest with each other."

"Yeah, I like the sound of that." She said.

"Come on, let's go to the little sitting room and get some food. You must be starving." He suggested. He still cared about her but needed to tell her that they were through."

* * *

23:16

Surrounded by friends and sipping slowly on one of those newfangled carbonated drinks, Zuko sat in his Drawing Room. Toph got her ice cream. Aang got some sherbert (no dairy of course), and Katara shared it with him as they cuddled much the same way Zuko and Sokka had been only a couple of hours before. Hashi went away from them after he determined that there was nothing for him to say or do to ease the awkwardness in the room. Zuko had done an expert job in not showing his emotions, and Hashi was none the wiser. The Sage went back to studying some pieces of the law.

"Are you calm now, Zuko?" Toph asked.

"I'm fine." He answered quickly.

"Don't lie to me." Toph said.

"Okay, I'm not fine." He started muttering, "Watching that put me in a bad place. I'm trying to be patient, but even right now thinking about how she was acting. Her filthy mitts all over my Sokkie."

"Sokkie?" Katara chuckled, "Oh, he must really love you to let him call you that. He hated that when we were children. I can't imagine him answering to him"

"Really, I think it fits him like a… sock." Zuko said. Thinking about him made him forget the unpleasantness he was feeling. He was thinking of him in a romantic sense, "He's so gentle and patient, and he's so I just gush when I think about him. And I'm happy that I can finally talk openly about it."

"Is my brother good to you?" Katara asked.

"Better than I am to myself." Zuko answered, "Don't tell him that I told you, but every so often, when he realizes that I'm stressed he'll bring me what he calls 'breakfast in bed.' He gets all my favorite foods and puts them on a special tray he made that has legs and sits up in the bed. He brings the newspapers too. So, we'll sit there for hours talking, dealing with the issues of day. You know, whatever."

"You mean, he does all that for you?" Katara asked rhetorically. "I didn't think he had it in him to be that thoughtful."

"He does have it in him." Zuko answered, reminiscing about the "I think I have to thank you, Katara. Whatever you did, you trained him well. He's every inch a gentleman."

"Well," Katara started, "I taught him the manners to be attractive to anyone he wanted. I was teaching him about how to attract a woman, but I guess, with a few minor adjustments the rules are the same. So long as he's loving, honest, and respectful of your feeling and your body, thoughtful and conscientious to the things going on around him, he'll be fine."

"And he is fine." Zuko answered, "And he's really good-looking too. I do remember thinking that he must've been good looking when he charged at me with that warpaint on way back at the beginning of our journey together. I still haven't forgiven him for the boomerang to the head, though."

"I forgot about that," Aang started laughing, "And you looked so angry."

"I was," Zuko remarked, his body almost down to normal temperature, "It hurt. A boomerang to the head ain't soft. Then I got to see him up close when you, Katara managed to freeze him to the deck of my boat. Then you fucked it up Aang with you making that damn iceberg basically swallowed my little ship."

"I never heard all of this stuff," Toph chimed in, "I came around in the spring, but winter sounded ridiculous the way you guys speak about it."

"Wait," Zuko sat down, "You don't know about Zhao and the Blue Spirit, Toph?"

"The Blue who?" Toph asked, shrugging.

Aang laughed, "The Blue Spirit saved my life once."

"Indeed he did." Katara joined in, starting to snicker along with her boyfriend and the Fire Lord.

"What the hell is so funny?" Toph asked exasperated.

"Nothing," Zuko answered.

"At least you two weren't around while we were trying to cross the Great Divide." Aang answered.

"What happened?" Toph asked.

"Not now," Aang answered, "We need to have Zuko's boyfriend here to have the whole story. Let's just say that Sokka and Katara were both eating, and eating well, while I was starving to death."

Zuko could commiserate, "Well, Fire Nation Navy provisions aren't that great either. Aside from the occasional treat when we came to a port, the food we got was this terrible mystery meat and hardtack. Every man was given a share of sugar for his whole trip which amounted to about three-fourths of an ounce per day. Sometimes we got some jerky."

"Aang?" Katara called out, "Remember when you thought Sokka's seal jerky was firewood?"

"Oh, yeah," Aang recalled, "Those were the early days. He was sad when I was around him. I get the feeling that he never forgave me for it. Poor guy looked so dejected. I felt bad, but I mean come on. I was raised in a society where I had never seen jerky before."

"Well, to thank him for the help," Zuko started, "I was thinking I would have a barbeque soon. I'm going to set up a rotisserie outside, probably Friday afternoon to have some Fire Nation barbeque,"

"So long as you grill some vegetables, I'm in." Aang said.

Zuko concluded, "I just want to thank him for his constant thoughtfulness."

* * *

Thoughtfulness was Sokka's entire goal while he was talking to Suki. His attitude at the moment set aside, he was trying to see what had turned the girl he liked into this strange, unrecognizable monster. Whatever the matter was, he was determined to see what he could do to solve it. That said, he had no place to start. The only framework that was reasonable was the theory that Toph posed. It was not definite, but something happening to Suki while they were separated made some sense. The change did start immediately after they were reunited. Putting aside the feelings of excitement and the whooshes provided so readily by adrenaline, Suki was a bit altered. Sokka did not have the time or wherewithal to investigate, but then he had not known what happened.

Endeavoring only to find the truth, he steeled himself to have this final meal alone with her. He would be confounded if he did not put together what happened in her case. They sat alone in a fully lit room on opposite sides of a great table. Overcoming his nausea, he asked for a steak and some mashed potatoes. She asked for the lemon pepper salmon and a side salad.

Sokka spoke to her while they waited.

"I'm glad you're safe, Suki." Sokka said genuinely.

"Yes, I am, Sokka. And I'm glad you cared. I knew that letter would make you search for me… and you even used Zuko's troops to do it." Suki's voice was saccharine and made Sokka want to defenestrate.

Forsaking any semblance of patience and wanting this experience to be over as soon as possible, he spoke."Yes, Suki, because there is one question, a serious question I have to ask you." He looked her right in the eye. "What happened when we were separated at the final battle?"

"What?" There was a flash of fear in her eyes that confirmed his worst nightmare. She continued, "No, nothing happened, I swear."

"Suki, don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying, Sokka." Her voice cracked melodramatically.

"All of this time I've known you and you're telling me I can't tell when you're lying. Suki, tell me and I can help you… whatever it is, we can fix it. I can fix—"

Interrupting, she cried out in a mighty shriek, "NO! _You can't fix it!"_ She was in full hyperventilation mode by then and only spoke in gasps, "No… one… can."

Suddenly, the door flew open. Toph ran in followed swiftly by the rest of the Gaang. Sokka, whose back was to the door only heard the commotion behind him as the room filled and the door closed again. By this time, Suki was standing and addressed then all, even though her eyes were still fixated on Sokka's and his on hers. Toph was about to say why she barged into the room so suddenly, but the tension in the room stopped her. Something told her that what she had to say could wait. The immediate danger she had sensed had passed, but now she realized that she could not leave. Besides, if her theory was correct and something did happen to Suki while they were separated, Toph was part of that equation.

Suki spoke again, her eyes still fixed on Sokka, the man who remained seated as she paced about. "He had a knife Sokka." Her voice was cracking, and tears were starting to well up.

"Who?" Sokka asked.

"When we were separated," She started, her hands moving wildly as she spoke and she paced as if not wanting to be pinned to anyone spot, "I had to find a way to take control of the dirigible that I was already on. I had memorized the schematics of the things and took the route to the would be the emptiest, but I was wrong. I…" Her voice was starting to crack as a single tear escape and fell unceremoniously down her face, "I… I… was stealthy as I walked down that corridor to the bridge."

"I-" Sokka tried to find something to say, but nothing presented itself.

"He came up from behind me, and he had a knife. He was a soldier... he pinned me against the door and he pressed the edge of the knife on my neck." She gasped and felt as claustrophobic as she had during the trauma. "He whispered to me about what he would do to me. He started to touch me... He started to grab me… I told him to stop. I tried to bite him. I- I tried to kick him in the groin as hard as I could. He started trying to rip my clothes off."

"Did he-" Sokka couldn't wrap his mind around it. He had to almost regurgitate the words: "Did he rape you?"

She did not answer, "I thought I had heard some footsteps coming towards me, towards us, me and the man attacking me. He was so into what he was about to do to me he didn't see the other soldier. I thought that my nightmare waa going to be doubled. I prayed to the spirits that I could at least die so i didn't have to be _raped_ by two men. I guess they heard me because the second man pulled out something from his pocket and stabbed my attacker in the neck My clothes were half off, and my attacker's blood was now covering me."

She continued, "I watched as they one who attacked me bled and gasped for air." Her movements stopped, and her face became blank, her gaze became distant and cold, but was still fixed unrelentingly into Sokka's eyes. She tilted her head, making some "The knife that the other soldier used cut into his windpipe. He was breathing through that hole, but he was sucking in the blood from his veins. I watched a man drown in his own blood. The last thing he did while he was writing on the floor in a pool of blood was grab my ankle. I kicked him in the head and the gurgling stopped and all the grip in his hand was gone."

"And the soldier who saved you?" Sokka asked.

"Well, I ran before I could do anything about him. I remembered what was going on and what the mission was. I put it all aside so that… so that we could win. I tried to wipe the blood off, but it blended in with the red I was already wearing. I was wet with sweat and blood.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sokka asked, hurt by the whole thing, "Why didn't you let me know what was wrong?"

"I wanted to, but when I got back to you. You had joined Zuko and I thought… well, I thought you you knew it. I thought that you put it together that I'm damaged."

"What the fuck?" Zuko asked out loud in pure consternation at the whole situation. It wasn't directed at her, but at the mess that this whole He regretted the statement for a half moment, but then stood by it. Then these words were directed to her:"What's the matter with you? He was here the whole time; how could he have known?"

" _Your soldier tries to rape me and you wonder what's wrong with me?"_ Her tone befitted the indignation she felt so strongly towards the country at large. Now she looked at Zuko, "I have been trying to be patient with Zuko, but there's some things I need to say to you."

Zuko just looked at her.

She spoke with venom, "This world doesn't revolve around you, Zuko. All your life has been easy. You had it all made from day one. Your countrymen have gone all over the world raping, robbing, and destroying the world."

Zuko ignored the 'had it easy' part, considering the obvious sign of abuse on his face. He spoke more calmly, "Don't you think I know that? I'm stuck here trying to put my country back together, because believe it or not a century of War has left my people weary, strange, and guilty. My people don't have it made. Right now, I know that someone on my islands isn't eating, isn't going to school, isn't being allowed to have a normal life because of this war. There's nothing I can do to change the past, there's nothing I can do to stop that from happening to you. I'm sorry about it. I'm sorry about this whole War. I wish there was something I could do to go back in time to stop my grandfather from doing this, but I can't."

"Well, I wish a lot too, Zuko." She answered, "I wish that Sokka could see me in the same light. I knew that when Sokka saw me, he could tell that I was soiled. I was damaged, but I thought that maybe we had a chance."

"Suki, I-" Sokka stopped and thought of this from a new line, "I didn't know Suki. I- I'm sorry that I wasn't there to protect you. The man who did this to you has gotten his justice. But I know that whatever you're feeling still has to haunt you."

He stood up and walked towards her. He opened his arms. "I know that this was hard."

She walked right into her arms and started sobbing the way only a distraught woman could. Sound and syllables arose from deep within her as the emotions poured forth. Zuko looked at the sight and pitied the woman. His heart softened, he said that the rest of the people should leave. Grateful for the opportunity to escape, Toph, Aang, Katara, and Zuko made a rapid departure.

"Sokka," she continued, finding words to say into his chest, "Zuko's right, I- I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking right. I just thought… I don't know what I thought, but I needed you… but I didn't tell you."

He comforted her, "Well, it's okay now. You are telling me now."

"I was such a bitch to you. No wonder you dumped me." She spoke bitterly to herself, cursing every untoward word and barbs she shot him unfairly.

"I should have been a better boyfriend and realized that something was wrong. I should have tried to talk to you."

"I was afraid, Sokka. I was afraid that maybe you would dump me if you knew about this. You'd see that I want the strong woman you liked."

"But you are strong, Suki. You are the strongest person I know. You're strong enough to survive this war. You're strong enough to survive that awful trauma. You're strong enough to tell me now what happened. And you're even strong enough to tell all of our friends. You are strong enough to show your emotions which is something I still can't do for myself."

"There's a war on, Sokka." She said reaching for something, anything to distract her from her emotions and justify her detachment.

"The War's over. Now, you and me have to be strong enough to move on. We both have to be strong enough to try and put this peace together. We can't get stuck now, and I don't want you stuck with this. I ant to do anything I can to help you move on, Suki, anything I can so that this can die the same way he did."

"But Sokka, I know that we can't be together anymore. I know that what we were ended the second I wanted too much out of you. And I'm sorry about how all of that happened."

Sokka was happy at that news. "It's okay, Suki. I'm not mad at you anymore, I understand now.

"Thanks," she backed up from him and started wiping some of the tears away. "I'm not really hungry anymore. I- I think I'm going to head to bed. Can we talk some more in the morning?"

"Are you sure you want to wait."

"Yes, Sokka. I need to sleep on it."

* * *

Monday, October 15th, 01:06, Zuko's Bedchamber

Zuko was still awake when Sokka came into the bedchamber. He was sitting in bed in his pajamas preparing several documents to change some laws in the morning. Namely, Zuko was going to repeal the whole dancing ban immediately, introduce decimalization to the currency by January 1st along the lines Sokka introduced, and to allow those new 'automobiles', contraptions that could go 20 miles per hour, to drive on public roads (as the were in the former colonies). Zuko's work never stopped, so he read copies of the current laws and crossed out what he was repealing and/or wrote in the new text of the laws. The red box was on the table next to the bed. Zuko was still entranced in the words while he held his pen in hand. In the morning, he would have the laws written rewritten and entered into the statute, where they would all go into law after the proper measures carried out. Sokka was quiet as he walked in. He stepped towards Zuko and saw something different. Zuko ws wearing spectacle, eyeglasses they called them here in the Fire Nation and in the colonies. He liked how they looked on Zuko's face.

"Those are cute on you," Sokka said.

"What?" Zuko jumped a little bit and took the glasses off, putting them back on the bedside table.. "Oh Sokka. You're back. I'm sorry for losing my cool."

Sokka sat on the edge of the bed near the Fire Lord. "It's fine, Zuko. You only said what everyone was thinking, but I don't know why you guys came running in."

Zuko explained himself, "Well, Toph stooped us and said, 'she's about to have a heart attack'. She grabbed me and basically we ran across to you guys. Toph told us the reaction from Suki's body was the most extreme she had ever seen. She said that Suki's heart was pounding faster than a hummingbird's. But she calmed down a bit by the time we got there."

"Well, good." Sokka answered.

"So… how did it go?" Zuko asked, as he put the papers back into the box and closed it, "I was ready to shoot her when she kissed you like that. And Toph told me that you got nauseous."

"I was… and don't worry. I went to my room and brushed my teeth after that. Well, we talked and she actually told me that we're through, but I can't be sure that she doesn't know about us. I know that right now at least, she doesn't hate me."

"Well, that's a step in the right direction." Zuko answered.

Sokka commented, "As messed up as we ended, I never wanted anything to happen to her. I just wanted her to be happy, and I knew that I wasn't the person who could do that."

"Well. you make me happy, Sokka." Zuko answered, "And that means the most to me."

"That means the most to me too, Zuko. I'm sorry about this whole mess. I wish we'd have known about what happened to her. I was just so angry with her when she came back and was so different. I should've seen what the problem was or that there was even a problem."

"Coulda, woulda, shoulda, Sokka. We have to focus on the here and now." Zuko bit his lip a little bit and crawled over the to Sokka. He sort of knelt behind Sokka and started to rub his back and shoulders. He used his firebending to make his hands warm to make the massage feel good to Sokka. "Come to bed, Sokka."

"You know, it's not that simple to me, Zuk-" Zuko found a tense spot on his lover's back. Sokka melted into the touch, "Damn, that feels good."

"You know I have the magic touch."

"I kn-"

There was a loud rapping at Zuko's door. It didn't sound like Hashi, and none of the other banged that way. Sokka got up immediately and went to hide in Zuko's closet. It was strange, but Zuko's closet was large, probably about the size of the two ordinary Southern Water Tribe igloos put together. It was a walk in closet that had a corridor and electric lights. Indeed it was so big that, the little corridor inside it actually branched off to the left and right. He got into the thing and shut the door behind him. He did not turn on the lights, because he didn't need any light leaking out and revealing his presence.

Zuko put on a robe and walked out to the drawing room and then to the main door whence the knocking came. He opened the door and there was Suki standing alone. Clean now, she asked if she could come in. He obliged and let her into the drawing room. Feeling that the room was too formal for whatever was about to happen and so that Sokka could hear what happened, he asked her to come through to his bedchamber. Unable to say no, and not feeling a threat from Zuko, she went into the room. She could not help but be impressed by the grandeur of the place. He grabbed a chair for her to sit on. And he sat at foot of the bed, his legs dangling over the edge. Sokka was certainly within earshot, but Zuko dare not even look in the direction of his closet for fear he would reveal too much emotionally.

"So, what did you want to talk about Suki?" Zuko asked, his tone polite, "First of all, so you want some tea, iced tea, coffee, ice cream, anything?"

"No, Zuko." Suki answered quickly, "I just wanted to talk to you about everything."

"Yes?" The Fire Lord felt a bit of tension forming in his stomach.

Suki spoke, at first sounding (a little) more like that girl Zuko had liked (platonically). "Well, first I want to apologize. Sokka and I talked earlier and he showed me that you don't have it easy. I guess you're busy too. The fact that you're still up at this late hour means you're busy running this _country_." She spat that last word. And the apology felt as if it arose from duty and not sincerity. As far as Zuko was concerned she could have saved her breath with the backhanded tone, but he curbed his sarcasm and mustered a genuine response.

"I can't complain," Zuko remarked, "I mean, look at this place. I'm just trying to do my best as we all are. I think. But I need to apologize to you too. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It's just that it's a bitter thing to swallow that my Nation, in my family's name has done such awful things. And I'm sorry about what I did to your village. I don't know if I ever told you how sorry I am. But I am really very sorry about it, all of it."

"I don't know if I'm ready to accept either of those apologies." She answered honestly. "But for the sake of peace… I guess… I'm going to ignore these things. I won't ever forive these things. Zuko, I have known you for a while now. I know that you're not evil, but I can't forget all the evil things you've done. So I have to leave."

"You can stay as long as you want, Suki. You know, maybe talk with someone about all of the things that have happened to you and-"

She was quick to answer. She was calmer now, but her feeling were still understandably raw, "I can't take any money from you. It would bother me too much to take any money from you as if money will make anything better. You capitalists think that money is the answer to everything."

"I-" Considering the fact that many people in the Earth Kingdom owned their property, Zuko was confounded by the 'capitalist' comment. Something in him told him that some contrary idea might come forth. He knew that she was smart enough to think it up, and that she was charismatic enough to sell it. All those ideas hitting him at once made him unable to speak. Not to worry, she filled the void.

Suki continued "And I'm going home today, immediately because I'm packed and ready to go. If you want to help me Zuko, pay for my passage back home."

"Suki, I-"

"You want to make things right?" She half asked and half stated. "This can be the first step."

"Fine, I'll do it," Zuko said bitter and defeated. "To Kyoshi?"

"No," Suki answered, "I'm going to Ba Sing Se. I need to help the Earth King and my countrymen. I don't think that after a century of War against us, that we can just forgive you so easily."

"I have just one more question then." Zuko said seriously.

"What?"

Zuko inhaled and exhaled before he posed the most important question ever asked of her in his opinion, "Do you hate me and my people?"

"I hate all of the things this country stands for. I hate the blatant consumerism and imperialistic ideas you people have. I hate how you feel that you are the be all and end all of the Earth. I hate how you think that you are the only civilized people to ever walk the planet. Everything I had been taught as a child is the opposite. There's no charity, just sharp elbows, and sharp knees. You call yourselves aspirational, but all you aspire for is things _and you're_ willing to do anything, rape, burn, and kill to get thing and to make money. I do not hate you because I don't think that there is anyone worth the effort of hating them, but these damn islands could sink into the ocean for all I care."

Zuko ignored her vitriol because he was expecting it. He answered her, "Well, fine. I understand what you're saying, and I can get you an escort within the hour. You'll be off these islands by tomorrow morning, and in Ba Sing Se by the end of the week, I'll pay for your passage all the way to the Upper Ring. On one condition."

"What's that?" Suki asked.

"I'm going to write a letter to the Earth King and I would ask that you deliver it into His hands. That's all I want."

"I can do that. And I keep my promises." She said, "The sooner as the sloppy business of getting my country some recompense is done the better."

"Are you going to tell Sokka that you're going to leave?" Zuko asked ignoring her again. It seemed the only right thing to do when she was here. When she was abroad, he would pay close attention to her, documenting and reading every word she put out into the ether. For good reason, he looked on her now as the real enemy, an adversary whose main weapon would be words, not guns. He knew that Suki would be in Kuei's ear poisoning the Earth King's perception of Zuko and making peace that much harder. They both knew it, but Zuko had an advantage. Her education had been in stealth and soldiering, his had been in statecraft. He snapped back out of his thoughts and predictions when she started speaking again.

"I left him a letter in my room here telling him why. I'm sure that he'll find a good Water Tribe or Earth Kingdom girl to marry when he's done advising you." Sighing silently, Sokka shook his head in the the dark, but that confirmed that she was in the dark about his relationship with Zuko.

"I want you to always know that that room is always available to you if you change your mind. You're always welcome to come back," Zuko only said this to clear his conscience and to let Sokka know that he dealt with her gently. "Well, do you mind waiting in your room? I'll give you the letter before you leave."

"That's fine."

* * *

02:28

She had gone back to her room and Sokka came out of the closet.

Sokka started, "I'm glad this is over. And she doesn't have a clue."

"I know." Being in a hurry to write a good letter, Zuko said looking around for the best paper he could find. The fact that he dodged the bullet had not hit him fully yet. He found some good, heavy paper. "Now, what should I say to him?"

Sokka started to dictate what he thought was best.

* * *

After about forty minutes of wrangling, Zuko wrote the final copy in his best calligraphy.

 _Your Most Gracious Majesty,_

 _I commend this letter to You in the hope that We, together, can build peace. I know that the process will not be easy for either of Us, our great nations, or our subjects, but I am sure that if we work together in good faith, we can make the world a better, fairer and most especially safer world for our children. I am committed to this goal, and I am sure that you are too. In seeking this goal, I would need to see You and speak to You face to face. I formally invite You to the Fire Nation where We may meet begin to tackle the peace. If it suits You better, I am also willing to travel to Your beautiful capital, Ba Sing Se._

 _I have seen the beauty of Your country. I have known the industry, perseverance, and morality of Your people. I fell in love with the character of Your subjects because they remind me so much of Mine. Your people are thoroughly decent, remarkable in their skill, and unrelenting in their will. These traits and the imperative fact that they are shared by My people makes the prospect of peace for Us and Our posterity all the more necessary._

 _I look forward to receiving Your reply. I look even more forward to the day when You and Your subjects can be very welcome guests in Your country and I and mine in the Earth Kingdom. I look most forward to the day when Our subjects can be at total peace,_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Zuko, the Fire Lord_

* * *

03:15

Zuko put on a formal robe. He wanted to see her off the right way. He walked to the Eastern Gate where there was a carriage waiting to take her to whatever awaited her. A couple of servants helped her with her bags. Zuko handed her the letter in a special envelope. He was exhausted. He had been up for about twenty hours and he was running on fumes. Zuko knew that the job of Fire Lord was going to be tiring, but this was the first time it really was. He stood at the gate and watched her put the letter into a pocket in her green cape. He wished her well, but could not wish her luck. The woman he had just had in his home had left ready for a fight. He knew that peace was going to be difficult, but watching her carriage disappear into the distance sealed fate in his eyes. There would be peace, but the Harmony Restoration as Sokka had envisioned was not going to happen. At least, it wasn't going to happen now.

He had hoped against hope that something good would arise from their encounter. A funny thought struck him almost as a vision. He pictured Suki as the person running the Earth Kingdom. Maybe she would marry Kuei, maybe she would dethrone him, or maybe she would pull a Long Feng situation. What the final result would really be was beyond his control.

So he went back to his bedchamber. The coming weeks and months would be unpredictable, but he would have to navigate them flawlessly. He walked into his drawing room and stopped in the middle of it. What was worse was that his thoughts zapped his last hope of going to sleep immediately. He went into his room quickly and grabbed his glasses from the table on which he left them a couple of hours earlier. Ignoring Sokka on the bed, he went the main room in his wing and found the thing his mother had taught him in secret. In his father's time on the throne, the thing only remained in the room because it part of the royal collection. Ozai did not want his son doing this, but Zuko's mother, in her infinite wisdom insisted that he learn.

So, Zuko sat on the bench in front of the piano and uncovered the keys. He had been out of practice for years, but he knew that he never forgot how to play the was talented at it when he was little. It had only taken him two years for him to be certified a bona fide piano master. He had loved it when he was young and found great comfort in it.

Opened the bench and found the same sheet music that he had learned as a child, but he set it aside, because he remembered this particular piece of music and every keystroke that was in it. It was written eighty-one years before he was born, but it spoke to him as Sokka did. He started, his hands finding the right keys, his heart finding the rhythm to it: The Moonlight Sonata.

As he played the first movement flawlessly and emotionally, he cried the bitter tears of war, grief, and tiredness. Letting the tears flow and permitting them to run down his face. He was entranced and moved beyond words by the music that had comforted him as child and played in his head when he saw the destruction this war had visited upon humanity. He cried clouding his vision, but his hands knew where to go on that beautiful instrument. The first movement of this piece became more than just a dirge for the fallen in the War but an expression of pain, anxiety, angst, and fright he felt being a teenager in charge of a Nation.

He grieved for a life of simpleness and contentment that was gone. He grieved for his mother who had taught him the beauty of expression and the way to put that expression into music. He grieved for all the death he knew was to come. He grieved for the relationship that he had to hide, the light in his heart that he could not show.

When the piece came to its natural conclusion a few minutes later, he in an undignified way wiped his tears on his sleeve. He got up to see his friends. Aang, Toph, Katara, and Hashi stood by the main entrance of the room all in their pajamas stunned and amazed. Toph and Hashi would both deny it later, but they were crying the same way Zuko had been, especially the former. Toph was silent, but the beauty of the music coupled with the emotions she felt oozing from Zuko made her realize how sensitive the boy really was and how unfair it was to have him be in such a vulnerable station in life, Aang stood by and was reminded of what things were like before the War. He would go to concerts like these in the Fire Nation and hear these beautiful pieces of music performed. Katara was simply stunned, amazed that she could have ever hated Zuko.

Sokka was seated in a chair near the piano. He could feel the heat that was rising off of Zuko as he played. He felt the notes resonate through his body the same way Zuko's love did.

"I'm tired, and I need to go to bed," Zuko was about to beckon Sokka to come with him, but he noticed the young Sage and called to him instead, "Hashi."

"Yes, My Lord." Hashi answered.

"We'll convene at two o'clock in the afternoon." Zuko said, his voice tired.

"Yes, Sire." Hashi said.

"Good night everyone." Zuko said.

"Good night," they all said back as they all walked out, including Sokka.

The tribesman returned to Zuko's room a few minutes later, got into bed, and became the big spoon.


	22. Reunion, Part Three

Monday, October 15, 1900, 15:02, War Room

Zuko was sitting with Hashi, the Gaang, and Sokka in the Diplomatic Room. The other Sages were present through the domestic portion of the meeting and were excused when it came to the 'colonial question'. Zuko would not have anyone try to veto or in anyway reprove Aang or his advice. He kept Hashi around so that he could inform them of what Zuko would do. He was not afraid of criticism, but the time for sniping about former glories in the War had passed.

"...So My Lord, Chief Hakoda has arrived in the colonies. He has with him forty-five hundred men, to leave each precinct with enough support. Right now, as the letter says, he is sending his men to the polling places now, so that they may secure all of the locations. And he asks Your Majesty for the provisions to pay for all of them to be quartered comfortably."

"Good." Zuko answered. "And write back to him that I shall pay for all of the wages, good lodgings, food, and other accommodations. A million and a half should cover it, and if he needs more, tell him not to hesitate to send a letter to me."

"Yes, I think that amount should be enough. The letter is dated the eleventh, and he says that all of his men will be in place in seven to ten days."

"Where is my father? Where is he based?" Sokka asked.

"He's in Colony Seven, so he is situated in just about the center of them. He's in New Sozin, but I think that the name of that place will be changed rather quickly. Let's say that even though their culture resembles the Fire Nation's more than the Earth Kingdom's, Sozin's name is not popular. They remember the first great crime he committed and would not want his name upon them."

"I wouldn't want to be a New Sozinite either," Sokka commented, "And do the people trust that the Water Tribesman are neutral and will actual ensure the safety of the voters and the vote?"

"Yes, not all, but most of the people in those old colonies look on the Water Tribes with favor, remembering their valor and amazed by their power to command likes, oceans, and clouds." Hashi continued, "I do think that many of the Tribesman may stay in that new country."

"Why?" Katara asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, I must be honest," He bit the end of his pen before going on, "The wedge that has been created between the Northern and Southern Tribes, though exaggerated by some, may prove to be something really dangerous going forward. The Tribes, over that last century went in different directions. My Nation, I hate to say, played a good part in pulling the tribes further South gave more and more individual freedoms to the people to defend themselves, because the government was too far away to help anyway. The North became more and more centralized because it's smaller. I do not know if the two schools of thought can really be reconciled. I hope for the peace's sake that it is fixed. From what I've heard and read, many of the Northerners, soldiers in their own right, might not want to go home to be lorded over by Chief Arnook, who's been trying to consolidate the power.

"The divide isn't that great I hope," Katara said. "I hardly think Dad would argue with Arnook. I-" She could not continue, thinking of how nasty that contest could be. Whatever the case, she knew that she would be with the South. That thought was much too ghastly for her to contemplate further.

"It is generally recognized and said here and in many places in the Earth Kingdom," Hashi started, "that Master Sokka is a prince. Lady Katara, that would thus make you a princess. I know that how the Fire Nation perceives those titles cannot be a great concern to the North, but if this view is held around the world-and I have much evidence to believe it is-then the world sees a distinction."

"You're a very shrewd man, Hashi," Sokka remarked, "And I'm afraid that you're right. When we were children down there, the North was always talked about as if it were a different country. Bato spoke of it not only far off geographically, but politically too. And we do refer to them as Northerners and not some much as countrymen. That said, I think the second this is over… I guess we should try to tie the Tribes back together before they split, but for now… We must focus on the Colonial issue. Have enough ballots been printed?"

"Yes, His Majesty's Stationery has manufactured enough to satisfy one hundred and twenty percent of the population, enough to cover any mistakes that would be made in both question."

"And the calculus remains the same as to what the colonies will say?" Zuko asked.

"I'm not sure I understand you, Sir?"

"I mean do we still think that the northern two will go back to Kuei, the southernmost two will align with me, and the middle thirteen will want to be independent?"

"Yes." Hashi answered with certainty, "No new polls have been taken to see if the mood has changed, but nothing suggests a change either."

"So, Aang, once this vote is over and the people have said that they want to be independent, then what?"

"Then, and I have already written it down, we will meet in New Sozin to chart out a written constitution. I should think that they will want Sokka, because abroad," He turned to the Water Tribesman, "You are thought of as a great statesman of our time.."

"But what about the fact that Zuko has chosen me to-"

Aang answered, "Well, they think that you're here to help Zuko run this country and help him stabilize it. In the eyes of many, you were the only person who could have had the power to help him. So, naturally, they think of you as a worldly wanderer willing to help anybody. And they think of you as a great inventor, military leader, and most of all, able to make compromises or think up unique solutions to problems. When they're wrangling over their constitution, and there is no doubt they will, they will want you Sokka, more than me. "

"Me?" Sokka said, "It surely cannot be me. I should think that Iroh or you, Aang, but surely not me."

"It's still understood abroad that you are negotiating a deal between the Southern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation," Hashi added, "And to keep your political popularity and transcendence, I wouldn't get too close to any one country."

"Isn't that your place, Aang?"

"Not quite, Sokka." The Avatar answered, "I'm supposed to be a unifier as far as the things that are not political. I only had a reason to bring an end to the war because it was the world's problem. Afterward, I cannot have an affinity or hatred towards any country or people. I don't hate the Fire Nation or Zuko's subjects, but their safety in particular is Zuko's charge. All I want is to count the all the leaders of the world as my friends. I will be there to support and help stabilize their becoming a country, but the politics are something I have to avoid."

"You have me as a friend." Zuko answered.

"Yes." Aang answered, "I also have Hakoda. Hopefully the colonists I still think Arnook blames me for the you know-. And Kuei hates me, I'm sure."

"No, that can't be." Zuko answered. "Frustrated by your lack of alliance with him surely, but no one, especially in the Earth Kingdom can hate you for delivering them from the Hellfire my father was unleashing on them."

"Then the people must love you Aang." Zuko answered.

"They do." Toph answered.

"But I need to have their leader's ear." Aang said, "And right now the only person who possibly could speak to him is Suki."

"My Lord, I must ask." Hashi started, "I know that you said that you were concerned about Miss Mao having compromising information about our position."

"Yes, but having spoken to her, everything she knows is old news. And I managed to plant some misconceptions that might help us." Zuko said, half lying. "She thinks that the treasury is empty. So if she reports that to the Earth King, we will have some reasonable deniability in regards to paying them anything. I'm willing to find a suitable arrangement, but I'm not going to break my country's bank in the process."

"Speaking of payments," Hashi remembered, "I did have an idea of how to save face for the Earth King and save some You some money."

"Yes," Zuko answwered.

"Instead of just paying plain reparations, we can claim that we're going to buy the two colonies that are going stay with us anyways. We could say that we will purchase the land for say eight or ten or fifteen pounds per square mile. It would be a nice addition to his purse without you parting with too much."

"I will have to think about it," Zuko said, "And we need to know again what the Earth King wants. If he says a nice little number that's less than what we expect, I would agree to it in a second."

"What if there is no deal? What if one of the sides walks away?" Toph asked.

"I won't be the side to walk away." Zuko answered plainly.

"Fine, what if he does?" She persisted.

"I asked the Prime Minister prepare some plans just in case." Zuko answered, "And, much to my displeasure, I have made time to also meet with some of my military advisors in case of-"

Aang interrupted, "No more war, Zuko. The last thing the world need is more war."

Zuko answered solemnly, "I don't want it Aang, but if it is thrust upon me, I can't shirk. Besides, I do not think it's likely. Our preparedness is only insurance against a possibility. I call it deterrence. If I got my way, the way to smooth this over is the tension is through trading. My shepherds have good wool, my farmers grow the best coconuts, sugar cane, agave, peaches, oranges, bananas, almonds, pineapples, mangoes, guavas, olives, rice, indigo, peanuts, and cotton. We have glass and metal to trade, machines too. And for our part, we need timber, oil, apples, pears, wheat, meat, preserved fish, hemp, more silk, cactus juice, jewels, and gold, and silver. We could even use earthbenders to recover some land from the sea to increase our output. If we could find a way to open up the markets to our goods, their people could be satisfied with wonderful goods. And he can collect the taxes. He'll make more money that way."

"He would also do well to allow some of the great inventions here to be used by his people. As a child, I never dreamed of being able to have a real-time conversation from a hundred miles away, but here it is. And now I hear that the Earth King won't even allow the inventor to demonstrate it for him."

"What?" Aang asked.

Hashi answered, "Kuei has simply called it 'a cunning spying device.' I don't even have a response to that."

"Poor, sheltered man." Toph answered, "I think the Parliament compel make him. They want to see all of these new exciting things they've heard about, telephones and telegraphs and electric lights."

"Haven't you heard?" Hashi asked, "It was in the papers two days ago. Maybe, you were in transit when it happened, but he permanently dissolved the Parliament five or six days ago. He dismissed them saying that, with a heavy heart, for the safety of the continent he had to dissolve the body indefinitely."

"That's unconstitutional! If a hundred years of war wasn't enough of an emergency, then what could it be now."

"He says, 'unfriendly acts by the Fire Nation in so-called peacetime made him fear more for the safety of his people'. I don't even know what to make of that." Hashi shrugged in consternation and pointed disbelief. "I think by unfriendly acts he means the colonists about to choose to remove themselves from him. Without a doubt, he knows that if he marched into those colonies, He'll have another bloody, multi-year, unwinnable war on His hands."

Toph shook her head, and tapped her foot in the most obvious sign of nervousness she had ever shown. It was slight, and in a normal person would have been considered too minor to even think about. But Toph, gifted with the mastery of the Earthbending craft, was no normal teenager. Her nerves were usually steel,but now she wobbled.

"Toph, what's wrong?" Zuko asked, noticing her distress.

"It's just, if he's willing to get rid of Parliament and he's willing to invade a country that hates him without the Parliament debating it… what will he do with the property owners in his own realm? What will he do to the nobility? That man's trying to consolidate all of the power he can, and now he has the means to destroy the last group that stands in his way, the nobility. He does something unpopular and he next thing to do is take the people out who would stop him."

"We cannot know that for sure." Katara said.

"The Parliament was the only the voice the commons had. He has taken away the people's right to object to his government or avenge themselves against his actions. The nobles are the only ones left with the means who could fight him. They would have to look to the gentry and the commons to fight the army. The people wouldn't want to do that for fear of losing. If you lose in a fight like that, it's considered treason. And that's a capital offense. The way they execute you for treason... it's a brutality unto itself."

"And how's that?" Katara was now squirming too, feeling the same discomfort that Toph had fallen into.

"Stoning." She answered. "And if the King so orders, it can be death by a thousand cuts, or the breaking wheel, or both."

"And of all the noble families—" Aang started.

Toph finished it for him, "The Beifongs are highest. The King is my cousin through my father. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to think of me any differently. I didn't want it to look like I was gloating about it because, if I'm being honest, I never cared for it, and I never wanted to be his cousin."

"I understand what it means to be born into something you don't want, Toph." Aang patted her shoulder.

"So do I, Toph. If I could be a commoner, I would be."

"And that is why the people love you, Sire," Hashi was still

"Toph," Zuko asked, "How close are you to the throne?"

"Well, if he gets married, of course, I get further away, but right now my family is the closest in blood through him through my great-grandfather. He was the King himself. He had two children, a son and a daughter. The son went on the be king and have Kuei as his only was my grandmother and she married a Beifong, had my father, then you can figure the rest."

"So, you're second in line?" Zuko's jaw dropped, "Behind your father."

Took continued, "Yes and no. The heir apparent who is not a child of the king he is always made to sign a declaration obscuring himself. He can never say outwardly that he is the heir to leave some obscurity about who an Earth King would _pick_ to succeed him. This was done back in the old days to make sure that if the King was unpopular the heir didn't usurp or provide the focus for a conspiracy to displace the King."

"Oh?" Zuko listened intently.

"My father wouldn't sign it."

"Why?" Sokka asked curious to learn her family's story.

"Because he said that he never wanted to be King, and it was believed back then that the King would get married and have children of his own."

"So what happened next?" This time it was Hashi who leaned in like a gossiping schoolboy. Every word and detail of the story made him more curious. He absorbed the information like a sponge and listened intently. His attentiveness reminder her of someone she knew and liked, but she could not think of whom.

"Well, by refusing to 'relax his claim' as they call it, he made _himself_ ineligible, but did not destroy his line's legitimacy…"

"So… no way… you're the heir presumptive?" Zuko asked.

"Heir statutory is the better term. Yes, if he has a child, he or she would become heir apparent, but the only person he can marry, by law can be a duchess or baroness. And there are only two women in the whole land who are either. My mother is married and I'm heir, so I wouldn't give my crown away if he tried. And I'm too young for him to marry."

"Can't he just make some woman, any women, he loved a baroness or duchess?"

"No, well he couldn't while the Parliament was around. He would have to send it through them and the Speaker would do the preferring of titles. But since he got rid of Parliament last month, he can do whatever he wants now. I will say this. If he disinherits me, the people will have an outcry. They would hate the uncertainty of not having any viable successor. "

"He can't force you to marry him." Katara said half-chuckling, then, remembering what had happened to Gran Gran, she relented and her face dropped, "Can he?"

"Yes," Toph answered seriously, "But if he did, he would die on our wedding night before he ever touched me. Be assured of that Katara. He wouldn't survive to see the sun rise."

"Do you think you should go back to the Earth Kingdom?" Zuko asked, "It could good to help you put your affairs in order in case the situation changes. And the Earth King would listen to you, so long as you don't remind him of your position. The more time you spend here, with me, the worse you might look especially if Suki gets into his head. I can only imagine what's going through hers right now. Right now, she might be thinking up what she wants to say. "

"Whether she does or doesn't, I don't think I could go home right now. I don't have a home to go to because I'm sure my father still hates me. And again, I don't know how safe it is to go there when there's so much vitriol towards the moneyed classes. The tension was always there. I mean, it's obvious, Ba Sing Se is just a big puzzle of Wall after wall, separating the people on the lines of class. Those who have spent some of that money on segregation from the poor people, and it was going to have to come to an end at some point. I am in the former."

"The people must love you." Zuko said, "You're the great heroine who stopped the drill at Ba Sing Se, you're the-"

"It takes only one lie, only one good spark to light a great fire, Zuko." Toph spoke the truth. "Everyone in this room knows that."

"You sound like my uncle, now." Zuko said, crossing his arms. He knew that she was right. Though she did not see her hands in front of his face, she could see the plain wisdom that eluded old men.

Toph turned her head towards the door and pointed at it, "Speaking of the devil."

On cue, the door opened, and the Dragon of the West walked through. The man was still ripped, covered in muscle that men forty years younger would envy. He stood, dressed in normal, Earth Kingdom working man's clothing. He looked as modest as he actually was. He was clean, freshly shaven, and groomed. He looked a bit younger from the last time Zuko saw him, but the Fire Lord was not concerned that Iroh's health. Zuko stood up immediately. "Oh my goodness, you're back!"

Zuko forgot ceremony and sprinted towards his uncle. Proceeding with no care for any of the others in the room, Zuko wrapped his arms around the solid physique that was the man who raised him. The others looked on with joy that Zuko could be lifted up so easily. For the second time that day, and without shame, Zuko started to shed tears. This time the tears were happy and hopeful. Toph felt fluttery too; a wise fried was back. Something about Hashi's reaction to seeing the General also piqued her interest. She couldn't put her finger on it, so she let it go.

"Nephew, nephew," The older man reciprocated the gesture and held the young man tight, "I'm so glad to see you too."

Iroh grabbed Zuko by the shoulders and held him out to he could inspect him. Zuko could scarcely wipe away the tears that rolled so freely down his cheeks. The General spoke again, "And I see you're happy and healthy too."

He embraced his nephew again, "Have you all been taking care of him?"

"He's been taking good care of himself." Toph answered, "And he's been taking great care of his kingdom."

* * *

A bit of time passed before Iroh sat down. He sat beside Hashi, who had made plenty of room for him and the box of papers and information he had. The General had come back to his home bearing news. Questioning every detail was the endeavor for all around the table for the next hour. All of them were equally concerned for a myriad of reasons. They, Zuko and Toph in particular, saw danger in every shadow and conspiracy in hid away corner. Zuko, especially, knew that crowns were expensive, but the heads that bore them were cheap. Zuko knew that he had to Aang was very concerned about the violence and death that might result from all of the changes coming. The Avatar figured that history was trying to catch up to the hundred years wasted fighting the damned war. Iroh, for his part in the retelling of the war, simply sat back and sipped his tea. Sokka had told him of his new invention, iced tea. The General had scoffed at first, thinking that such an invention was strange and almost blasphemous. Sokka insisted and the older man assured him that he would try it. The man sipped the cool beverage with obvious reluctance and had to admit he liked it. The Water Tribesman sat back quite content when Iroh asked for another helping. With all the pomp and circumstance out of the way, the group began by letting Iroh speak first.

"Well, friends," the wise and wordly man started, "I have seen many thing in my years on this planet, but the happening in Ba Sing Se are like nothing I ever witnessed before. Three weeks ago, he sent troops into the upper and middle rings and he put many of the nobles under house arrest. He said that he had to have the nobles examined for their loyalty, and that he needed to take their land while these examinations were taking place."

"Only in the city?" Toph asked quickly, concerned for her father and mother's land and safety.

"From what I can ascertain, the Earth King didn't have enough forces to confiscate the holdings of the landed gentry or the landed aristocracy outside the walls. This is especially true after he sent the armies into the colonies. He removed many troops from the east."

Feeling the greatest sense of relief that she had had in years, Toph sighed and sat down into her comfortable chair _._ She knew, though she hoped against hope, the relief would be temporary. "My parents are safe for now." Toph breathed again, feeling like a weight had been shifted.

"Yes, but I do fear that the Earth King is going to use this time as an opportunity to purge his enemies. When I went to try and speak to him, he dismissed me because of my title 'Dragon of the West'. I half-expected that, but then he dismissed the rest of the White Lotus, saying that he would not take advice from the people who allowed the war to go on so long."

"And the people, sir," Sokka started, "Are the people scared of what is going on?"

"I'm afraid that the Earth King has figured out the techniques being used by the Dai Li. He has taken control of the press in the country because he doesn't want dissent in the streets right now. The people who are in the places to know what's going on are being locked up, and the common man in the street is only reading lies in the newspapers."

"What sorts of lies?" Toph asked again.

"Well," Iroh grabbed a newspaper and was about to pass it to her, then he remembered the obvious problem that prevented her from being able to read it. He handed it to Hashi.

Starting at the headline, the young sage began to read it, "King Confiscates Land of Traitor Nobles."

Toph just shook her head.

"Yesterday, the King said that he had found proof that no less than seven noble families, the Wangs, Bao-Tongs, Yangs, Tans, Zhengs, Lins, and Liangs were involved in collusion with the Fire Nation during the War. According to an indictment made by the King's Dai Li, these families are shown to have given material and monetary support to the Fire Nation or its soldiers. The Lins and Liangs specifically accused to quartering and feeding soldiers in their lands within Ba Sing Se during the occupation. In His Majesty's own words, the families have been put under attainder 'to prevent further treasons in these new fragile times.' He added, 'the war may be over, but there will be no peace as long as the Fire Nation continues its aggression in the Far Western provinces and through other subversions of the government'. The trials before the King are-"

"I beg your pardon, Hashi… but did that say trials before the King?" Zuko asked.

"Yes, sir, it did." Hashi answered.

"He's judge, jury, and executioner?" Zuko asked incredulously, coining a phrase.

"Yes, Zuko."

"I cannot imagine doing that to my own subjects, or to anyone…" In a state of fantastic consternation, Zuko sat back in his chair, "If people can't trust that they'll get a fair trial, they can't trust me. Surely the same is true in the Earth Kingdom."

"It takes only one lie, only one good spark to light a great fire, Zuko." Iron repeated that sentence inadvertently, "And nephew, when things are on fire, people will do anything to put it out."

"What does that mean, Uncle?" Zuko was confused by the corollary.

"Zuko, when people are panicked, they don't take the time to think about all of the things going on around them. The Earth King has mastered the politics of fear. He has convinced the people that the Kingdom is on fire and that he is the only person who put the fire out. The people don't care what he does so long as he puts the fire out."

"Well, when you put it like that…" Zuko understood now.

"Our family peddled in the same system, but now we're, you're making amends for it."

"Well, Uncle, I wrote a letter to him last night. You've seen him on the throne. Do you think he'll read it and respond?"

"Were you genuine in the letter?" Iron asked.

"Yes."

"Were you concise?"

"Yes."

"Well that is the best that you can do. He'll read it certainly, and I'm fairly certain that he will respond. But there will be venom in the response I'm sure." Iroh answered, "He hates this country, Zuko. He hates everything we stand for. I don't know what will become of this uneasy peace, but I would try to maintain that."

"It was not I who sent hundreds of thousands of troops to the colonies." Zuko answered, "I desire peace as much as any sane person would, and I have not made any aggressive moves. None."

"I know that, Zuko," Aang answered, "I hate to have to take sides in this thing that's developing. But if I must take sides, I must side with you. He's locking people up without trial, he's stealing land, he's lying to his people, he's stymieing the peace we have all worked so hard to create, and worst of all he thinks he's right."

"Well, I was thinking." Zuko answered Aang, "I was thinking that the best way to deal with this would be to publish the letter I wrote to him. Let the world see that I'm honest. For the moment, Aang, I think you should stay out of it. Don't pick sides here."

"Why?"

Zuko answered. "Because there's nothing the Earth King can do to make His subjects hate _you_. Being seen to side with me will only give Kuei the chance to degrade your name and status."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, your power, your political power doesn't come from your mastery of the elements, but from your detachment from all the nations. Your status as arbitrator must depend on you're not being on my side or his side. You're my friend, but we can't let him trick his people about you. You said so yourself not too long ago."

"But the situation has changed since then, Zuko."

"The solution remains the same." Zuko answered.

Deeply impressed with Zuko's foresight and political savvy, Iroh merely nodded in agreement. "Your wisdom will be rewarded, nephew.."

"I should go back to the Colonies then, huh?" Aang thought aloud, "That would be the middle of the road solution that neither nation likes, but that all people could see an Avatar working out."

"Yes." Zuko answered.

"For the time being, Zuko," Sokka added, "You should take a more hands off approach to the colonial question."

"I can't." Zuko sighed, realizing what Sokka meant. "I can't let the people think that I'm just letting the colonies go, like sand slipping through my hands."

"No, Zuko that's not what I meant. Since there's about three weeks left till the votes, I would remind the people that the colonies are more complex than they seem. First, I would also say that even if we wanted to keep the land, the people living there would not be content and maybe violent. Second, the Earth King by also wanting the land would instigate more unrests and wars. Third, it would be very expensive to defend these people who do not want the Fire Nation there anyway. Fourth, the colonies would be great allies and a buffer against the Earth King's aggression. Last, that it's better to have happy neighbors in a new country than it is to have an upset lodger."

Iroh could only continue to nod. He was very pleased that Sokka could offer such good solutions. He was surprised, however, that Sokka knew the situation so well. The General set his wondering aside. "I hear that the telegraph cable up to the colonies is almost completely laid."

"Yes," Hashi said. "They expect it to be done within the next week. It used to take weeks to get communication. Then with the steamship, only a few days, with ocean liners hours. And now the inventor of this says that messages will be passed in a matter of minutes. Three minutes and thirty seconds for news from the colonies."

"And, the colonies are already connected together in a telegraph system?" Zuko asked.

"Yes sir, the Earth Kingdom forces use the lines themselves, but many of them have retreated."

"Then we can get the results of the poll in real-time."

"That had not occurred to me sir, but it is very possible to do that. The counts are reported when completed by precinct and we can fill in the precincts by the numbers when we get them."

"We could even get a map," Sokka said, "a blank map of the colonies and fill them in with the colors so that we can keep a good count."

"I want the people to be kept informed too." Zuko said. "I want them to know what their countrymen and soon to be close allies are doing."

"You could just make a bigger map and have people paint it in accordingly. You can put it outside, and people and journalists can view it."

"The results will go way into the night," Katara said.

"We'll rig up some big electric lights to illuminate it then." Zuko stated, then he looked over at Hashi, "Prime Minister, do you think you can arrange all of this."

"Certainly, Sir."

"Prime Minister," Iroh mulled the sound of those words in his head, "Somehow, I really like how that sounds."

"With all do respect, Sir," Hashi answered Iroh, "It sticks in my throat. I don't think I could ever really say that I'm _that_ important."

"You are the second man in the Kingdom," Zuko asked, "If ever I need something done and done well, I go only to my Prime Minister. Remember that. In fact, Mai's family sold their house across from the Palace. I bought it from them, and that shall be the official home of the Prime Minister. It gives you proximity to the Palace, and it gives you plenty of room to meet with the other Sages to craft policy. It certainly has to beat that dark room in the Sages' Dormitory."

"Thank you, Sir." Hashi felt himself welling up a bit because it made him happier than words could say to make his sovereign happy. Hashi made Zuko's life easier which was his duty, but that task was also a delight. He had seen who and what Zuko's father was, and he was most grateful that Ozai's son was the opposite. Hashi could not help but beam with a childish pride. To all of the Gaang, the smile looked familiar, but they could not place it.

"Nephew, I knew that I was right about you. You have a great head on your shoulders, and you've surrounded yourself with good people. I never doubted you for a second."

"Thank you, Uncle."

"I'm not needed here, and that's good news." Iroh said contentedly. "You have the smarts and you have the energy."

"Yes, you are, or you will be soon," Zuko interjected on the contrary, "I might be all those things that you say, but I can't be in two places at once. I will need someone to be regent here while I'm negotiating in the new country. I was going to ask you to come back here shortly as a matter of fact."

"Well, it's just as good that I've been deported from the Earth Kingdom." Iroh jested. He saw the flash of anger on Zuko's face and spoke to quell it before it popped out of his mouth, "Don't worry, Zuko. I was treated gently by the soldiers and given a safe escort to the Earth Kingdom border with the colonies. Though I might have been their adversary for many years, the Earth Kingdom soldiers who escorted me showed nothing but deference for an old General. Some were even a bit excited to meet the Dragon of the West. The good people of the colonies helped me to the ocean, and I island-hopped to the Fire Nation and then the rest of the way here. Nothing untoward was done to me, and you know I can defend myself. And I sold all of the tea and furniture from the shop, so nothing happened."

"Yes, of course." Zuko's anger was indeed assuaged before it could be fully manifest.

"But what would you have done if I was somehow indisposed or unavailable?" Iroh asked.

"I would have asked the Prime Minister of course. And I would have requested that he formed a government in my name."

Hashi was blushing hard at this point, and the flames in the room grew slightly more powerful in tune with his astonishment, proving that he too was a firebender, "Sir, you flatter me, but I am-"

"Very prepared."

"A home and a trust with the regency of this country... You do me great honor, Sir."

* * *

Zuko's Bedchamber 22:45

"Do you think I should tell him?" Zuko asked, sitting on his side of the mattress, "You know… about us?"

"Do you want to?" Sokka asked. "I'm okay with it if you are."

"It's just…" Zuko relented a bit, "I don't know."

"Are you nervous with how he'll react?" Sokka put a supportive arm around Zuko's shoulder. Sokka confided in him, "I don't know how my father would react. On the one hand, I want to see him and hug him. You know, make up for lost time. But on the other hand, I don't think I could stand to see him right now because I would have to tell him. I can't stand to lie to him, and I can't stand to lie about you."

"I know, Sokka," Zuko said, "But that's not what it is with me. I think it's that all my life, I've been forcing him to accept things about me. The jolly little kid that was his nephew was much different after that agni kai. And ever since then, I have done nothing but stress him out. I don't think he would be upset that I'm with you. He would be concerned about that news getting out and possibly destroying me, us. He may be in top physical form, but he's still and older man. And I don't want to stress him. Get me?"

"Of course," Sokka answered, "For my father's reaction, spirits only know. I know he wouldn't be as mellow as Katara. And besides I don't want to see him for the first time in months and say 'Hi Dad. Good to see you. By the way, I'm in love with the Fire Lord.' I definitely can't act like everything is exactly how it was either. You get me?"

"Of course," Zuko answered, starting to unbutton his pajama top, "But let's forget about that tonight. Let's just be together." Zuko was now bare chested and looked over at his lover who, for the first time in a while, really inspected his lover's body. "It's been almost a week, and I _need_ you."

Sokka felt that familiar pressure and pleasure as Zuko's hand reached down. Sokka started "I-"

Then, the telephone started to ring.

They both looked at the phone. Zuko, in absolute frustration, and Sokka in wry amusement.

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Zuko yelled, making Sokka chuckle at the irony. The Fire Lord continued, lowering his voice considerably, "All I wanted to do was suck some dick. Maybe get pounded a little… FUCK!" He yelled the expletive again. Zuko started towards the phone.

"Better than Hashi busting in on his King pleasuring me." Sokka mused.

"That's true." Zuko calmed down before, he picked up the receiver. He held the speaker up to his ear and answered calmly, "Hello…It's fine, I know it must be urgent if you called at this hour… _What?_... _I'll be there in two minutes_..."

Zuko hung up. He looked over at his boyfriend, "Sokka, get dressed."

"What's the problem?" Sokka sat up.

Zuko merely supplied this, "Earth Kingdom fleet headed this way."

"Fuck." Was all Sokka could add.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED


	23. Fear

Monday, October 15, 1900, 23:02, War Room

Zuko, Sokka, the Gaang, Hashi, and Iroh stood in the War room overlooking a great map of the Fire Nation. Finally, seeing a decent map of the Fire Nation, Sokka felt a great sense of irony in the moment. He had wanted to see a map such as this for offense, but now he wanted to defend the very people he had been taught to despise from very young. Love had a funny way of turning things on their head. And that became manifest to him as he stood next to Zuko as his stared at the map. Looking at the map and really taking the time to study it, Sokka realized why the Fire Nation seemed so much bigger than it was on the Earth Kingdom drawn maps. Now Sokka could see that the true proportions of the country were significantly greater than he had thought.

" _No wonder it took so long to get across this country."_ Sokka thought to himself, marveling at the map. " _It's huge."_

The Fire Nation was indeed quite large. Three thousand miles (4,280 kilometers) across and six hundred miles (965 kilometers) from north to south was nothing to sneeze at. Of course there were great expanses of water, dozens of miles across in some cases, between some islands, but the Capital Island itself was two and a half times the size of the Southern Water Tribe's landmass. The Caldera that held the Capital City, when put in the context of the map looked almost like a speck. Sokka had always wondered how such a small country could wield so much power and control over the planet, but now he saw it wasn't so small after all. Now, Sokka understood how the people of the Fire Nation were so productive and had so many goods, including agricultural staples, to trade with the new Union about to form and the old Earth Kingdom.

They had the land to produce, the minds to innovate, a Fire Lord they loved in their millions, and the strength of will to persist and defend themselves. The War marred their good name as much as it scarred the other countries. But now, they were the ones playing defense. He looked at his friends and saw their disappointment that the so-called peace went to hell so quickly. He looked to his boyfriend and saw a rugged, instinctual determination to defend his people and himself. Iroh stares at the map, deep in contemplation of the situation. Sokka then looked at Hashi and saw the fright and uncertainty that had made a home on Sokka's features all the years before. War was hell, and Sokka felt no joy or satisfaction from the prospect of the Fire Nation feeling it in their homeland. He felt the need to protect them from the bully the same way he needed to protect the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes not that long before. The War had been over for forty days, but a new conflict was developing.

Sokka looked down at the miniature six green pai sho pieces, each of which were meant to represent a group of ten to twenty Earth Kingdom ships. Hashi stood over and gestured around with a mahogany pointer, Zuko had one in gold and held it in both hands, his knuckles white with the death grip on the pointer. Zuko's stare could have burned perfect holes into the map.

Hashi explained with great detail and Sokka sat glazing between the map, Zuko and Aang.

"At 1450 hours, a Fire Nation privately-owned fishing vessel, called the some twenty-five leagues out, in international waters spotted what he thought was a flotilla of Fire Nation Naval ships. He had spotted them as they were about a league away from him. He had assumed that they were our ships, but he could not actually make out their make or color. At 1706 hours, a Fire Nation Empire Class, the FLS Majestic intercepted a message being sent with an Earth Kingdom cipher. We were able to decrypt it and it advised them to complete their objectives. At 2130, the last estimate was conducted, and some sixty-five ships were counted, but now we have no light, and the next count we could make would be at earliest 0715, tomorrow morning. We cannot know what those objectives are. It could possibly be, and I do, but the way, think that this is the unlikeliest of options, a full on invasion."

"I hope not," Zuko's knuckles turned white with the tension of the situation and the stress that it caused him. He knew that it was very possible for blood to be spilled in battle here, so his mind was racked with anxiety. Though Zuko was a trained fighter, he abhorred violence and would only use it when necessary. This was especially true when he was sending other people's children into battle. He knew that he and his boyfriend were safe, probably the safest people on the planet, but he was anxious for the millions of people for whom he was sovereign.

"What I think is more likely, Zuko." Iroh said. "I think he's testing you and your personal resolve. And as a bonus, I think that he wants to see how well you can organize a defense and how quickly said defense can be mobilized."

"I agree Sir," Hashi answered, "Unless, he has totally lost his mind, he must know that an attack on these islands would hurt us certainly, but that the retaliation thereafter would be on a massive and wholly disproportionate scale. Logically, he must be trying to tease something out of us. The Earth Kingdom, Sir, is in no condition to fight."

"Neither are we, Hashi." Zuko answered, "I planned to announce the pension plan on Friday, but now I'm forced, forced to wait. And possibly to recall them. Now, Hashi, if you're right, and he is trying to gauge our response, how could he. The response here in the Home Islands is carried out just here and is not broadcast in any way. For him to know-" Zuko stopped in his tracks and asked. "Do we have Earth Kingdom spies in this country?"

"We do not know of any, Sir, but we must assume out of prudence that there are saboteurs and spies. When, of course, they are found out, they are put to the question and interrogated. But Sir, nothing could be possibly said about our response other than 'Wow, that it was fast.' "

"Right," Zuko said, concurring with the Prime Minister's judgment. He used his pointer and looked at the Pai pieces, pointing out the particulars he was describing, " So I see a group near Shuhon, Saigoku, and Duyama. Now what's there?" He asked himself thinking back, "There are some ports to the colonies, and a shipyard, Azulon Yard at Agni. He might be trying to take some of the coastal defenses down or at least check them out."

"All of the branches of the military await your orders, Sir. I'll be on the telephone right away with your orders." Hashi took out a pad and pen, ready to take down what his King commanded. He slapped himself mentally for daring to think that maybe, just maybe, the War was over and that he could spend the rest of his life living in peace and harmony with all the other nations. He put his own fears and worries aside as the Fire Lord spoke and, Hashi, for his part, wrote down faithfully, every syllable.

"First, the Coast Guard should be mobilized at first light to go into recognizance mode to get an accurate number of Earth Kingdom ships. Second, the Navy to be mobilized within Fire Nation Waters with orders to stand their ground unless fired upon or if the Earth Kingdom ships enter within the twenty-three and a third leagues and come in. If the Earth Kingdom look to come to close, fire over them to warn them. If, and only if, the Earth Kingdom ships continue into our territory after they have been warned, use any means necessary to stop them."

Iroh nodded behind his nephew agreeing with his restraint.

"Third," Zuko continued, "The Civilian National Guard is to be mobilized on Black Alert in the Eastern Half. Red Alert in the West…"

"Black Alert?" Sokka asked. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Black Alert means that an attack on this country or region of the country is imminent, and that they need to drop what they are doing instantly. It means be ready to fight at a moment's notice and that casualties are expected. Red alert means that an attack is highly likely, so that people have time to take safety precautions, but must be ready because a Black Alert May happen at a moments notice."

"I see." Sokka nodded in understanding. "Very systematic."

"Fourth, Hashi, recall all men who are out of service and put them on emergency alert. Tell them also that they will be paid in full for the length of their service, on the word of the Fire Lord. Fifth, put the Air Force on Black Alert. Finally, send a telegram to the commander of the Earth Kingdom Fleet."

"Saying?" Hashi asked, ready to note what Zuko had to say to the Earth Kingdom's admiral.

"Be very careful." Zuko said.

This chilled everybody in the room. And Katara and Iroh physically shivered at the statement. They both knew that is what Zuko meant to do, but the weight of those words hit them especially hard. Aang squirmed visibly too, and he hated that the world situation had deteriorated so quickly and had become so violent in a matter of a days. He knew with his intellect that it was not anywhere near his fault, but his heart was winning over his head by pouring guilt into his conscience. And all the people who ever lived know that guilt, real guilt and remorse, is one of the worst emotions

Hashi got over his initial shock over the brevity and power of the statement and asked, "Shall I raise the alarm now, Sir."

Zuko looked at the clock and saw that it was a quarter to twelve. He chuckled bitterly, and replied, "No, wait till midnight. Let the people get a few more minutes of sleep. Let the children get a few more minutes of peace."

"Yes, Sir. But I shall raise the alarm in the Palace."

"Zuko," Aang started, "I will fly tonight to the fleet and try to speak to Admiral and see what he wants."

"Thank you." Zuko said patting his back.

"I'm going with you," Katara said.

"I'm staying here." Toph said.

* * *

Within thirty seconds of Hashi advising the Sages and the branches of the armed services, he got on the phone to make the calls regarding the state of alert in which the country now found itself. Within thirty seconds Hashi hanging up the phone, the sounds of the alert siren filled the city. He knew that it would take about thirty-five to forty minutes for the whole of those islands to be alerted. Only six weeks before, it would have taken two to three days for this kind of news to be spread. That said, it would have taken possibly a week and a half to respond. Now, it only took seven and a half hours. Soon enough, he knew, the system would be smooth and he or anyone who needed, without the assistance of an operator, would be able to speak to any and all military installations throughout the islands in a matter of seconds. The coming speed and power of the age hit Hashi like a ton of bricks, and it cemented in his head that if the response should be so swift, the weapons of war too would become more powerful and quicker to deploy. He dare not think of what could be more awesomely and instantly destructive than a firebender under the influence of a close and powerful comet. Hashi only shook his head when a strange image came to his mind of a flash, a blast, a massive explosion followed by a plume, a cloud of smoke and dust, shaped like a mushroom, rising miles into the air.

He set that image aside, knowing that it was impossible. At least for now.

He looked out of the window of his office and watched how the lights of the Caldera turned on and people started going into the streets and to the posts for the news. Then he looked at the sky, still filled with stars as the lights didn't ruin them yet. He shook his head and could only be wonder why anyone would inflict this type of pain and panic. Then he remembered that his own countrymen had done the same to the other countries. It was easy to forget what the war had actually done. Well, it was easy for him and probably most people in the Fire Nation, but a century of dread was not easily forgiven or forgotten by the other nations. It had been that way throughout history; when other parts of the world were at war, the Fire Nation did not feel or see the carnage. The most they got was a Pu-on Tim play about the conflict.

"I guess it's a taste of our own medicine." Hashi said bitterly, coining a phrase that would be used countless times in the coming century.

In the intimacy of his office, he shed a tear or two because he hated to think of the pain and fright that the people, especially the children, felt as they heard sirens and bells in the middle of the night. He had grown up well-off and mostly safe, not having to know, at least in the beginning how hellish war really was. He did find out later, though. But he wished not to remember what he had witnessed.

Hearing a knock at the door, he quickly dabbed his tears away, cleared his throat, and told the guest to come in. His guest came in, and Iroh stood in front of him still dressed as he was during the briefing. Hashi turned up the light on his lamp to allow the man in. Iroh closed the door behind him and spoke.

"May I sit down here." Iroh asked and, upon receiving permission, sat at the table near Hashi's desk. "I'm an old man, and standing in that meeting does a number on me."

"You're not an old man, Sir." Hashi answered, pulling up a chair at the same table, "You're just a wise, worldly man, not old. You're built better than I at the moment. But statecraft, being his Prime Minister, has taken so much time away from exercise, but enough of my complainling," Hashi smiled at the general, "Can I get you something to drink? Some tea perhaps? Something to eat, maybe?"

"Thank you," Iroh said, "Tea would be great."

Iroh watched as the young man went over to the telephone and ordered it. The tea and biscuits (called cookies in the colonies) came and the two men settled into a silence as they eat and drank.

Iroh was the one who took the initiative to speak again. He had wanted to speak to Hashi alone since he had gotten back to the Fire Nation. He had gone back and forth with his bravery to go to the young man. Wisdom had given Iroh many things, but it could not and did not offer him or anyone else the bravery required to do something that he was scared to do. Actually, his cowardice, though slight, tried to graft wisdom into itself to keep him from having the conversation.

But Iroh thought to himself and reminded himself of the great pains and anxieties that the people all around him must be going through. If so many young men could be looking death in the eyes, surely an old man could have a difficult conversation.

So Iroh spoke, "Why haven't you told him yet?"

"Oh." Hashi answered, lowering the cup onto the saucer just before he was about to take a sip, "You want to discuss that."

"It's not that I want to," Iroh argued, "It's that _we_ need to."

"Well, I haven't had the time to yet. Besides you were the one who taught me that this country ought to be a meritocracy. We ought to reward people for what they do, not who they are. I'm just trying to live to that standard, Sir."

"I know, but every day that he doesn't know is another day where he has to worry about the succession. You can put his mind at ease about that, at least."

"Is your conscience bothering you?" Hashi said, looking Iroh in the eyes.

"Yes. I love you and I love him, and nothing in that love wants me to hide you or lie any second longer to him. But I know it is not my secret to tell."

"Father," Hashi reaches over and grabbed the General's hand. "I know you love me. And I know that you loved my mother."

"But love between a noble, especially royalty, and a commoner is, was…"

"Illegal." Hashi knew it, "My mother told me once that she never meant to fall in love with you. She never meant to let herself get carried away with a Prince Charming because this isn't a fairy tale. But, you two did fall in love, and I know that I am the result of that love. I know it was legitimate. You bought her a ring, and you married her."

"Son, I hope you never blamed me for having to deny… Once my father found out that I'd married your mother, he annulled the marriage and he…"

"She was treated gently, Sir," Hashi remembered and reminded him speaking strongly, "I may have been young with her in that prison, but I remember how well they treated her. My grandfather couldn't keep me a secret from the people charged with keeping us 'close confined'. None of the guards thought it was right, so they took good care of us, Sir. They had been trained to keep the hardest of hardened prisoners in there. So when they were assigned to a maid and an infant, they knew that their job was not to protect the society from us, but to protect us from Azulon's wrath. I hadn't known that I was imprisoned until many years later, Sir. I was well-fed, educated, and I got to know about who and what I was without shame. And my mother never stopped loving you, Sir. Never"

Iroh was trying not to cry and it wasn't working,"I was at least glad they let you live in my house when she… I hate how they made you your brother's servant. His mother wouldn't accept… But what was I to do…Things were so stiff back in the seventies and eighties..."

"But you did, Sir, And Lu Ten did too. Out of her presence, Lu Ten treated me as an equal. He looked up to me because I was his big brother. I taught him many things and he taught me many things. I got to be with my brother, Sir. I loved him as a brother, and he had come to love me the same. That's enough and I'm content with that. I got to love him and be with him before that awful day…in Ba Sing Se."

"I know." Iroh said quietly. "That damn war stole both my sons away from me. My first son was taken for reputation's sake, and my second born was taken away from me. A young life, a vital life was snuffed right in front of my eyes. So I knew I had to send you back. I wasn't losing both of my sons."

"I know Sir." Hashi answered

"So, you really want me to tell Zuko?" Hashi answered standing up and starting to pace, "What do I say? 'Hi, Zuko. How's it going? Sorry, I've been lying to you this whole time, but I'm your cousin, your first cousin.' That's a hard one, Father."

"I know-"

"But you always did what you could for me. You always made me feel equal even though I'm a commoner, even though I'm a bast-"

"You are none of those things. You're my son, my firstborn, my living pride and joy." Iroh stood up, and looked at him. "And you've become so handsome."

"Dad?" Hashi asked.

"Yes son…"

Hashi closed the distance and wrapped his arms around his father. And Iroh reciprocates the gesture. All they did was hug as the world was quietly falling apart right outside of the windows.

A few rooms down, Toph was smiling, happy for them.

* * *

Sokka sat with Zuko at the top floor of the Palace. They were alone and were close to each other, but the circumstances that made them thus were horrendous. They too were looking out towards the east whence the sun would rise and the enemy approached. Sokka was trying to convince Zuko to go downstairs and sleep at least for a while. Zuko could not be reasoned with in that respect, so Sokka stayed up there and talked with him. Rarely was Zuko implacable with Sokka, but the Fire Lord was terrified in a way that he had not been since his father challenged him to that agni kai.

"Is this anything like you felt when my ship came to your village, Sokka." Zuko said breaking the uneasy silence.

"What?" Sokka asked, not knowing what it meant.

"The dread, the anxiety, the unshakable feeling that something just isn't right… is that what it feels like to get invaded? All I want to do is run, but at the same time, all I want to do is stay here and fight for my land and for my people." Zuko said, understanding what all of this really meant. "This feels so… just shitty."

"Yes, Zuko. This is what invasion feels like." Sokka answered, comforting Zuko as he lay into Sokka's frame on the couch. "But we have every possible advantage. We have hours and hours of warning. Right is on your side. You have the strongest defenses in the world and a stronger offense. You have the Avatar on your side. You have Katara and Toph here. Your uncle is here to give you advice and is a great bender in his own right. You have the undying love, affection, and loyalty of your people."

"I know, but none of these things makes me feel any better about this situation." Zuko said, "I know those ships and the sailors on them are not targeting my people, but they are targeting me. I almost understand what Aang must have felt while I chased him around the world." Zuko laughed to himself ironically, "But the difference here is, I can't run. I cannot abandon my people, my palace, or my land. If I could have it my way, we would just be two average citizens living together in a flat somewhere, not up in this high and mighty place watching from afar as the enemy was gunning for us."

"I know, Zuko," Sokka answered. "Until the threat is gone, it's hard to feel safe. You feel vulnerable and I understand that, but you have to fight. Because this," Sokka swooped his hand and showed Zuko the city lights before him. Only a few months before, the city was dark by that hour, but with everyone getting electrified, Zuko could now look at the twinkling lights of houses in the distance. "This is worth defending, Zuko. These dear people, the children, their entire way of life is worth being defended. So after we're done crying, we have to wipe away her tears and go on to fight for what we know is right. The people down there are up in arms, calmly doing all the things that need to be done, ready to defend themselves, their way of life, and the man who defends that, you. The least we can do is get up from here and do the same for them. Neither of us asked to be born into the stations we occupy, but it please fate to have us here. So, we must do our duty. We must defend these good people as they defend us, and we need to find the best way to comfort them and give them heart in this situation."

"You're right." Zuko sniffled and pulled himself back together. We all know by now that Sokka was the only person who could put him back together and do so quickly. He stood up and looked at Sokka still reclining on the sofa, "Help me write a speech. I want to tell my people that we will survive this. And I have to let the world know that Zuko won't be stepped on."

"Good," Sokka said. "Let's go."

* * *

Tuesday had dawned hot and steamy. Zuko and Sokka had not slept as they crafted a clever speech. It took all of their talent to pick the right words. They had to be strong yet sensitive. They had to be completely honest with the people about all of the undertakings to protect them and their property, but they could not give away the secrets that actually hid the specifics of their defense. They had to provide comfort, but they could not sugarcoat the reality. Finally, and quite importantly, Zuko had to speak directly to Earth King and let him know a few things.

"I think that's done, Zuko." Sokka said, looking at the finished copy of the speech.

* * *

Zuko spoke to a frightened and attentive crowd, not needing to look down at the words too often as he spoke from the heart. He would not encounter any clapping today. The entire Nation was counting on him and he knew it. That is why he spoke slowly and solemnly. He was about to say something grim and tell the truth, but he would also have to offer them hope. He was nervous but he did not let it show.

"Last night, much to my surprise and dismay, I received an urgent report concerning the safety of these islands. Just before eleven o'clock, I was informed by those who are careful for the safety of the realm that a large group of Earth Kingdom Navy ships were approaching the Fire Nation at full speed. While there ultimate aims, as of now, remain unknown, we have tracked their speed and trajectory. And we can be sure that they will, at least, approach the boundaries of the realm, coming close to the areas designated as ours. This Nation, as do all nations, have exclusive use of the water extending twenty-three and one-third leagues from our shores. It is my commitment and duty as your Fire Lord to protect you and the sovereignty of our boundaries. With the overwhelming evidence of a threat, I, with a heavy heart, have made provision for our common protection. Without delay, I put into action long developed plans for our military and civil defense.

"These measures came into effect at midnight after, and only after, repeated attempts were made to ascertain a peaceful purpose for those ships' travel. No such purpose was offered up, and no non-aggressive reasons were provided by those who are in control of this fleet. The fleet, according to the latest intelligence is still sailing at full speed towards this country, and if the do not change course, they will be in Fire Nation waters within the next four hours. In prudence and for safety's sake, the navy has been put into alert and shall take any maneuvers necessary to protect those men and this country. The Civil Defense system has been activated also, with shelters and fortified places of safety now operating and ready to accommodate those who may need to seek refuge.

"We do not want war, but if is foisted upon us, we will not shirk from our duty to our neighbors and our posterity. These objectives and the preservation of our interests all over the world demand that we take a pragmatic approach in these new condition. These times demand clear and decisive leadership, and they demand clear and unambiguous policy. Therefore, I am here to tell you and the world how the forces under my command will react to the threats that face them.

"First, it shall be the policy of this Nation to consider any coordinated entry into our waters to be an act of aggression and shall be met with retaliation. Second, any stealthy, coordinated attempt to enter Fire Nation waters will be considered an act of aggression and will be met with retaliation. Third, any attempt to stymie, interfere, or in any way hinder the international trade that this country engages in will be considered an act of aggression and will be met with retaliation. Fourth, any attempt to stymie, interfere, or in any way stop the free movement of ships flying the Ensign of the Fire Nation will be met with retaliation. Fifth, the retaliation will be made on a case by case basis. Sixth, any attack, _any attack_ which lands an enemy combatant on our shores will be considered an act of war and will be met with such force as to forever deter any future invasions to our land or way of life.

"These policies now need to exist as we enter a strange way of living. The war of the last hundred years may be over, but we are entering a new time of cold conflict, of Cold War. We must, in this new and pressing enterprise continue to live our lives in freedom and in peace. Our strongest defense will remain our will and ability to take the right actions at the right time to deter any and all threats to us. The actions we are taking now will be the first test of our resolve. You and I, together, must carry on. We must see this through. I will see it through with you. Thank you."

* * *

"The fleet continues its westward movement." Hashi pointed at the new positioning of the ships on the map. His voice grew serious. "In the daylight, our scouts reported 170 ships headed this way. Sire, this must surely represent a clear and present threat to the safety of this realm."

"One hundred and seventy?" Zuko asked.

"Aye, milord."

"And how far away are they from our waters. I thought that they would have been in or closely encroaching by now."

"Every hour, it appears that they were slowing down slightly. The lack of a moon tonight also may have slowed them. But they have started speeding up again with daylight."

Hashi's father spoke to his nephew, the Fire Lord, and said. "I would wait and watch them. They may just be trying to fake us out. If they are and we fire upon them, it would look, again, as if we are starting a war. If they do not turn around and do enter or just skirt our water, I believe they will have left us with no choice. If the latter case comes to pass, the question will become how to attack, whether to warn them or to debilitate them right then and there."

"I think you can do both," Sokka chimed in. "Fire a warning shot in their direction but not aimed at them, and then, if they aren't deterred, fire right at them."

"Then, and truly then, I will be able to say that what was thrusted into my hands, and that, without any other options I had to return it furiously." Zuko nodded. "I just hate, and I know that I am doing it now, but I haters think that it will be me ordering some people to their deaths. If the Earth Kingdom wants a fight, they will get one, but wars means death. War is hell."

"And so would be the dictatorship that Kuei wants to impose upon your people." Toph piped up from her chair at the other side of the table. "We have all heard what the Earth King has been doing, seizure of private property, nobility disappearing and being charged with fake crimes, dissent being actively punished. I don't even know if _I_ could go back home with all of the things going on. So, you need to defend this, Zuko. Ever person, every hold piece, every _thing_ at your disposal has be used for your defense. And every possible way to deter the Earth Kingdom from attacking you must be exploited."

"Do you really think building bigger and bigger guns will stop war?" Hashi asked.

"I think that if one side knows that, by attacking the other, they would be committing suicide, it would make both sides stop."

"That sounds mad." Hashi nodded, "But just mad enough to work. I would hate to see the ugly things that would be created in the name of that goal. I would think that there would be some scary moments too. What if, incorrectly,one of the countries thought it could get away with it, get away with shooting?" Hashi's mind pivoted back to the image he had had last night of a cloud like a mushroom rising into the sky. He shook his head and let the image go.

"The other country would have to make sure that firing the gun is harmful if not deadly. They would both be in pursuit of the same ends, so that situation would never occur. It may come close, but no one would fire because neither country would allow the other to get such a strong advantage over the other."

"Both would simply build weapons until when?" Hashi asked. "When would it stop?"

"Until one of them runs out of money." Zuko added. "It costs me three million pounds a year to upkeep this army. That could be better spent investing in trade, investing in roads, in schools. I can't see a world where we'll have enough money for bombs but not books." Zuko turned red at the thought, "But that's the world we have now."

"Sire," Hashi answered, "The nature of our economy is such that we don't have to worry about running out of money. If you allow the conditions to exist wherein people can and will spend their money, which is therefore taxed, you will be able to pay for the defense of the nation, providing that we do not overstretch ourselves."

"That's true," Zuko admitted.

"The colonies and their defense will not be our charge for much longer, we could, instead use the money saved to reinvest in technology or modernization of the naval forces or armed forces. That coupled with trying to make efficiencies in Government would give us the means to spend."

"I do not want a groat of debt. Not a penny." Zuko said, "I don't know where the money would come from, and I don't want to be indebted to anyone. Not a commoner or a king. There is no one that I would want to be forced to beg money from."

"Yes, Sir." Said the Prime Minister.

"And I won't be in debt to banks in my own country either." Zuko reiterated, his arms crossed.

"Yes, Sir." Hashi answered before continuing, "But Sir, I must ask for your to instructions for the Navy. They should be approaching the fleet now and it would be best if they know their rules of engagement."

"Yes," Zuko nodded, "Of course. Tell them to stay in Fire Nation waters. Tell them also to fire warning shots if, in the educated opinion of the admiral of the flotilla or the captain of the ship, the enemy looks as if they are going to engage. If the enemy does engage, is not deterred, or makes an aggressive or coordinated move into Fire Nation's waters, stop them by any means necessary. Take prisoners if you must."

"Yes Sir." Hashi wrote it all down and was starting to leave.

"Wait." Zuko stopped him, "Come back."

Hashi obeyed and took out the pen to write the best part of the orders.

"Also make it very clear to the captains and admirals that I do will not tolerate any war crimes. No cruel and unusual treatment of prisoners, no torture, no cheap vengeance. We can't give them any fuel for their hatred. If any of that takes place, I will find the perpetrators and they will hang for it."

"Yes, Sire." Hashi finishes writing it. "Speaking of hangings milord, there are supposed to be several executions this week, and the death warrants are still waiting for your signature.

"It's their lucky week then, they'll get a stay until this current crisis is over and until I have had some opportunity to review their cases."

"Yes, Sir." Hashi bowed before leaving the room.

"Death warrants?" Sokka asked.

"Yes. I, as the Fire Lord, have to sign all of them in the nation. I can commute the sentences, give them stays while I consider their cases, pardon them, or actually sign that paper and have the execution go forward."

"Oh. I see."

"It's duty…" Zuko thought before an idea hit him, "You know what?"

"No, what?" Toph asked.

"I should go to the front. I'm going to go to the eastern edge and take a look at the coming threat myself."

"Zu-" Sokka started, but the Fire Lord would not be convinced otherwise.

"I have to go and see this happen myself. I can't be in any way seen as someone who won't lead. Besides there's a bonus from going there to the fight. It would make it look as if I'm willing to defend myself and my people, while the Earth King sits safe on his throne in Ba Sing Se."

"Nephew," Iroh started, "I would never want to judge your intent or express undue doubt about what is ultimately your decision…"

"...but…"

"But I am concerned," Iroh started. "Let's say, for example, those boats are attacking and that they, spirits forbid, actually manage to get through us and land men upon our shores. You would be caught in the fighting, wounded, possibly killed."

"I'm not afraid for myself. I fight as well as any other man." Zuko argued.

"I know."

"You know it and have said it in the past that I am a firebending master, a true knight, a patriot, a _soldier_." Zuko banged his hand on the table.

"I know, but it's not just you anymore, Zuko. It's the nation you love. We cannot afford to lose our leader especially right now. I know that you want to look like a strong leader, but strength would come most though restraint."

"This isn't vanity, Uncle." Zuko was steamed. "I want you to know that. It's just… I was supposed to be powerful. I was supposed to be free, but now I can do even less that I could when I was on that damn ship chasing the wind from port to port." He banged the table again, this time with a fist, "I only want to see with my own eyes what the threat is and give my people there some courage."

"Fine," Iroh relented. "I cannot dissuade you, and you are the Fire Lord."

"Thank you," Zuko answered, "But I will take your advice too. I won't go right to the frontline, just to the bases. I'll be able to see the some of our ships leaving from Paru Harbor."

Hashi came back into the room, "Sire, the message has been sent."

"Ready an airship immediately."

"Sir?"

"I'm going to Paru Harbor."

"Yes, Sir."


End file.
